New Delhi/Agartala, May 23 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday announced that the state government is developing dedicated infrastructure to support artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G network development.

Speaking at the Rising Northeast Investors Summit-2025 in Delhi, the Chief Minister announced that his government has allocated land for data centers, including one for Airtel that would serve as a hub for the entire eastern and northeastern region of India, located in Agartala.

“As Ashtalakshmi, these eight states—the easterners—are gifted with natural beauty and abundant resources. They truly represent Goddess Lakshmi, the embodiment of multifaceted blessings of wealth, knowledge, strength, and prosperity,” Saha said.

He congratulated the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) for organising the two-day Rising Northeast Investors Summit 2025 to showcase the northeast region as a land of opportunity, attracting global and domestic investment, and bringing together key stakeholders, investors, and policymakers at a single platform.

Saha said that while 5G can transmit information quickly and with low latency, AI minimises operational complexity by using efficient algorithms to automate a wide range of processes—resulting in more speed, efficiency, and cost savings.

“It is a symbiotic relationship between 5G and AI. As AI expands, the cost of connectivity continues to decline. The convergence of 5G and AI is not just about speed—it is going to cater to the demands of next-generation activities. The powerful combination of 5G and AI means greater innovation opportunities and some very interesting applications. Deploying AI applications at the edge with 5G brings opportunities across various industries and sectors,” said Saha.

He said that by embracing AI and 5G, people can unlock new avenues for growth, innovation, and prosperity. The Chief Minister also announced that Tripura has made significant progress in 5G deployment, with all towns and 583 villages already connected.

“Tripura has also framed policies to support telecommunication. The state has framed policies to support telecom infrastructure development, including the Information Technology Policy 2022 and Data Center Policy 2021,” he said.

Saha informed that recently, the Tripura government organised a workshop on AI for good governance, aimed at driving transparency, efficiency, and impact, in collaboration with the National e-Governance Division and the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Tripura government has implemented paperless administration, reducing the time required to dispose of files from nine days to three days, and saving over Rs 50 crore per year, he stated.

Noting that the digital transformation has enhanced transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the administration, he said: “As we move forward, we plan to leverage AI and 5G to drive growth, innovation, and prosperity across all northeastern states, including introducing single-window digital platforms to simplify access to public services through a digital interface and launching department-specific AI pilot projects to demonstrate the potential of AI in various departments.”

–IANS

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