Agartala, July 9 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday said that the state has emerged as one of India’s fastest-growing states, driven by rapid infrastructure development, progressive policy reforms and a business-friendly ecosystem, while announcing that the Destination Tripura Business Conclave-2026 has received investment intent exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore.

Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day business conclave at the International Fair Ground at Hapania on the outskirts of Agartala, the Chief Minister said the state government is committed to transforming Tripura into one of the country’s most attractive investment destinations.

The inaugural session was attended virtually by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Union Minister for Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, as well as senior government officials, diplomats, industrialists, investors, and business leaders from across the country and abroad.

Describing Tripura as one of the fastest-growing states in the country, Saha said the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has doubled within just six years, reflecting the success of sustained economic reforms and infrastructure-led development.

“The Central Government as well as the State Government have made huge investments in public infrastructure, including National Highways, railways, airports, reliable internet and mobile connectivity, waterways and an extensive banking network. We have abundant natural gas reserves, vast rubber plantations, GI-tagged Queen Pineapple, premium-quality agarwood, diverse bamboo species and a rich horticultural base,” the Chief Minister said.

He said Tripura has emerged as the country’s third fully literate state and possesses a large pool of technically qualified and skilled manpower, making it an ideal destination for industries seeking a competent workforce.

“Now the time is ripe for private investment to take advantage of our robust infrastructure and abundant natural resources. That is why we have organised this investment summit on a large scale, with the participation of 45 departments and organisations of the State and Central Governments,” Saha said.

The Chief Minister said the conclave has brought together more than 500 business leaders, promoters, industrialists and entrepreneurs with the objective of building an ‘Ek Tripura, Shrestha Tripura’ through investment-driven development.

He said Tripura’s abundant natural resources, all-weather connectivity, peaceful atmosphere and business-friendly policies have made it one of the most attractive investment destinations in the Northeast.

“We have undertaken extensive policy reforms covering land administration, urban planning, industry, health, education, tourism and several other sectors to create a transparent, investor-friendly and efficient governance framework,” he said.

Saha said that, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to implement the ‘Reform Express’, Tripura secured the first rank among all states and Union Territories in both Deregulation and Compliance Reduction, Phases I and II, reflecting the state’s commitment to ease of doing business.

“We have simplified land-use change procedures, streamlined industrial and business approvals, established the Single Window Portal ‘SWAAGAT’, and introduced risk-based inspections. Government land is available on lease at highly competitive rates for social, educational and commercial projects. Tripura is among the few states where all industrial and business-related approvals are issued through a single agency,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that during last year’s business conclave, the state had received investment proposals worth more than Rs 30,000 crore, of which projects valued at over Rs 8,000 crore have already entered the implementation stage.

Highlighting sector-specific opportunities, Saha said Tripura has around 1.58 lakh hectares of natural rubber plantations, making it the second-largest natural rubber-producing state in the country.

He said a modern Rubber Park has been established at Santirbazar, with provisions for a Research and Development Centre, creating opportunities for manufacturing high-quality rubber products, including centrifuged latex products, foam products, and surgical, industrial, and household gloves.

The Chief Minister added that investment opportunities also exist in rubberwood-based industries, including plywood and veneer manufacturing, as well as biochar production using rubberwood waste.

Similarly, he said the government is expanding industrial bamboo cultivation to 45,000 hectares while developing an integrated Bamboo Value Chain Park in Unakoti district to promote value addition and exports.

“With nearly 2.27 crore agar trees, Tripura possesses India’s most credible and well-established agar ecosystem. Investors have tremendous opportunities in agar inoculum production, agar oil distillation units, attar and perfume manufacturing, hydrosol processing and wellness products,” Saha said.

He further said that agriculture and horticulture offer vast investment opportunities in cold-chain infrastructure, tissue culture laboratories, pineapple and jackfruit processing, fibre extraction, dehydrated fruit processing, and rice husk and bran oil units.

The Chief Minister also highlighted significant opportunities in fisheries, including fish feed manufacturing, cluster-based fish farming, fermented and dried fish processing, modern fish markets, transhipment yards and aqua tourism.

“We are building an energy ecosystem that is sustainable, technology-driven and investment-friendly, creating fresh opportunities for entrepreneurs and industries,” he added.

Highlighting Tripura’s strategic geographical location, Saha said the state’s 856-km international border with Bangladesh positions it as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia under the Centre’s Act East Policy.

He said major connectivity projects such as the Agartala-Akhaura International Rail Link, development of Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport as an international airport, the Maitri Setu connecting Sabroom with Bangladesh’s Chattogram Port, and the Sonamura-Daudkandi Inland Water Transport route linking Tripura with Kolkata and Haldia ports through Bangladesh are opening unprecedented opportunities for seamless multimodal transport and logistics.

“Tripura offers enormous investment opportunities in logistics parks, warehousing, cold-chain infrastructure, multimodal cargo hubs, electric mobility, commercial pilot training, aircraft maintenance engineering, heliports, air ambulance services and seaplane operations at Dumbur Lake,” he said.

Saha said the state government is equally committed to transforming Tripura into a major hub for healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical innovation.

He said landmark infrastructure projects, including the Tripura IT & Data Ecosystem Zone (TIDEZ), the Innovation and Incubation Park, and a state-of-the-art IT Park, are being developed to create a modern ecosystem that enables businesses to scale up with confidence.

Expressing satisfaction over the overwhelming response to the conclave, the Chief Minister said: “I am happy to note that the Destination Tripura Business Conclave-2026 has attracted more than 700 delegates, while over 250 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) are being signed with a cumulative investment intent exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore.”

“With the proactive support of Team Tripura, we are confident that a majority of these investment proposals will soon be translated into projects on the ground, creating employment, accelerating industrialisation and contributing significantly to the state’s economic growth,” Saha added.

–IANS

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