Agartala, Jan 23, 2025, TRIPURATIMES Desk

By Prasenjit Chakraborty 

Agartala, Jan 22: While Tripura has been witnessing a tech-driven entrepreneurial spirit over the past few years, advancements in innovation and technical support under the aegis of the Directorate of Information Technology (DIT) have evidently been emerging as the game changer.

The five-year 'Tripura IT/ITeS Start-Up Scheme- 2019' launched in October 2019, apparently created a conducive environment for IT/ITeS based Start-ups in Tripura and empowered the Start-ups to grow through innovation and development.

This initiative aimed to create an enabling environment for IT/ITeS-based start-ups, supporting innovation and growth. Alongside, the New Generation Innovation Network (NGIN) Scheme was implemented to integrate technical institutions into the start-up ecosystem.

With new ideas, opportunities and high-tech support from the Directorate of Information Technology, Tripura is now working towards becoming a leading state for innovation-driven start-up development in the Northeast region, an official associated with the development said.

In this direction, the state government is soon launching 'Tripura Start-Up Policy 2024', aiming to position Tripura as a hub for innovation and high-tech industries, leveraging its strengths in sectors like handloom, horticulture, healthcare, and logistics. With robust fiscal incentives and infrastructure support, the policy sets the stage for a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in the state, the official said.

While talking about the key objectives of the policy, the official said, ‘The Tripura Start-Up Policy 2024’, along with the IT/ITeS Policy 2022, would lay a strong foundation towards the government's vision.

Recognizing Tripura's potential for Start-ups across diverse sectors, the State Government has approved the Tripura Start-Up Policy-2024. This new policy aligns with DPIIT's recommendations to foster start-ups across IT, e-commerce, construction, healthcare, logistics, and more.

The official also highlighted some of the major provisions of the Tripura Start-Up Policy 2024 as Tri-Seed Funding, Operational Cost Reimbursement, Prototype Development Assistance, Marketing/Publicity Support, GST Reimbursement, Patent Filing Reimbursement, Waiver of EMD and Tender fees, NGIN Scheme and Venture Capital Support.

The key achievements under the Tripura IT/ITeS Policy 2022 are-- 127 start-ups from Tripura are registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), including 26 recognized under the IT/ITeS Start-Up Scheme, while IT/ITeS remains significant, 101 start-ups belong to non-IT sectors, highlighting substantial potential in areas like handloom, handicrafts, horticulture, agro-processing, and healthcare have collectively generated employment to over 800 unemployed youth, driving inclusive development and over Rs. 1 crore in incentives was disbursed to start-ups, and Rs. 1.20 crore was provided to eight technical institutions under the NGIN scheme

Apart from this, the DIT has been playing a significant role in implementing the state government's 'Digital Tripura' initiative, advancing the state in digital mode.