Tripura emerges as higher education hub in Northeast: CM Manik Saha

Agartala, Jan 29 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Thursday that the state has emerged as a major higher education hub in the Northeastern region, with seven universities, three engineering colleges, three medical colleges and several other higher education and professional institutions producing a highly skilled workforce. 

Laying the foundation stone of Northeast India's largest data centre, the Chief Minister said that, coupled with the state's first rank in Deregulation and Compliance Reduction 2025, Tripura's investor-friendly environment and pro-reform governance are attracting growing interest from national and international investors.

He highlighted that India accounts for nearly 20 per cent of global data consumption, while its data storage capacity stands at only about two per cent.

"With India's storage capacity expected to grow from 1.5 gigawatts currently to 8 gigawatts by 2030, the establishment of the data centre in Tripura is a timely intervention," the Chief Minister added.

He noted that the state's favourable climatic conditions, surplus power availability, pollution-free environment and air connectivity make Tripura an ideal destination for data centre investments.

The presence of India's third International Internet Gateway at Agartala provides stable, high-speed connectivity, further strengthening the state's digital infrastructure.

The Chief Minister acknowledged the Directorate of Information Technology for its pivotal role in facilitating the project through proactive land allotment, infrastructure development and administrative coordination.

He said that Tripura's progressive Data Centre Policy, 2021, is among the best in the country, offering fiscal incentives such as 50 per cent floor rental reimbursement of up to Rs 12 lakh per year, concessional land lease, power tariff at Rs 4.75 per unit, bandwidth cost subsidy of up to Rs 10 lakh per annum, and capital investment subsidy of up to Rs 1 crore per year.

Reiterating that Tripura is backed by a progressive Data Centre Policy, strategic connectivity advantages and forward-looking digital reforms, the Chief Minister added that the state is poised to emerge as a major data centre and IT hub in the Northeastern region.

Highlighting the enthusiasm of Tripura's global diaspora, he referred to the recent Prabashi Tripurabashi Summit, attended by 86 distinguished professionals of Tripura origin from across the world, many of whom expressed willingness to invest in the state's IT sector.

To cater to the growing demand for plug-and-play facilities, the Information Technology (IT) Department is also planning to establish Tripura's second IT Park near Agartala.

To nurture local talent and entrepreneurship, the IT Department has introduced the New Generation Innovation Network (NGIN) scheme and launched the Tripura Start-up Policy, 2025, which provides comprehensive support, including seed funding, operational reimbursements, prototype development grants, branding assistance and IPR protection.

A Rs 50 crore Start-up Venture Fund has also been established to support start-ups with funding ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 2 crore.

At present, Tripura has 188 registered start-ups, with more than 50 new applications under consideration.

--IANS

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