Agartala, Feb 25, 2025, TRIPURA TIMES Desk
Agartala, Feb 25: Governor of Tripura, Indrasena Reddy Nallu unveiled the State Focus Paper of NABARD for 2025-26.
In the event, among others Gitte Kirankumar, IAS, Secretary, Department of Industries & Commerce, GoT, Apurba Roy, IAS, Secretary Finance and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, GoT, Surendra Nidar, GM/OIC, RBI Agartala; Anil S Kotmire GM/OIC, NABARD Agartala, SLBC, Bankers, Government Departments and other important stakeholders were present.
The Governor, addressing the NABARD State Credit Seminar, commended NABARD for organizing the event and emphasized the importance of self-sufficiency under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative to achieve the vision of Vikshit Bharat. He stressed that deposited money in Tripura should be effectively circulated through improved loan disbursements, with NABARD and RBI playing key roles in loan reviews.
To this end, he called for enhanced business loans to foster employment and economic development. The Governor also addressed rural banking infrastructure challenges, urging support from NABARD to resolve the state’s drinking water issues by utilizing Gomati River resources. He advocated for agricultural mechanization with advanced harvesting machines and emphasized targeted financial support for farmers, FPOs, and specialized sectors like piggery and household animal rearing.
Promoting renewable energy, he suggested solar and biogas plant installations and highlighted the need for crop diversification, including turmeric, queen pineapple, pulses, and oilseeds. The Governor also encouraged the promotion of agarwood, bamboo industries, and large-scale fishery projects, proposing loan and lease plans for larger ponds to boost the sector. He urged all stakeholders to collaborate and promote local entrepreneurship for the holistic development of Tripura’s economy.
Anil S Kotmire, GM NABARD informed that the State Focus Paper was assessed a credit projection of Rs 12,664crore under priority sector for Tripura during the financial year 2025-26. The State Focus Paper of NABARD has given thrust on agriculture sector,being the backbone of Tripura’s economy. Accordingly, agriculture & allied sector provides tremendous scope of development and prosperity of the state. Further MSME & other priority sectors are key to economic development of the state.
Anil S. Kotmire emphasized the need for a well-structured Annual Credit Plan (ACP) that reflects the true potential of Tripura's key sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, tourism, and the service sector. Highlighting agriculture and horticulture as the backbone of the state's economy, he also stressed the need to tap into the growing opportunities in tourism and services.
Surendra Nidar, General Manager, RBI, highlighted the importance of NABARD’s Potential Linked Credit Plan (PLP) as a guiding document in identifying the business potential across the priority sectors. He urged banks and branches to align their targets with both the PLP and ACP to ensure maximum credit flow across key sectors.
Kiran Gitte, Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Government of Tripura, emphasized the need to enhance the Credit Deposit (CD) ratio in the state and urged bankers to prioritize schemes like PMEGP (Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme) and Swabalamban to support small businesses and budding entrepreneurs.
He highlighted key interventions, including the Tripura Start-Up Policy and initiatives to boost the power and tourism sectors, which are poised to accelerate the state's industrial and economic development. Gitte also brought attention to the significant strides made at the Tripura Business Conclave, where 87 MoUs worth ₹3,800 crore were signed, primarily targeting medium-sized industries.
With investments coming in and central government projects like railways and internet connectivity improving infrastructure, he stressed the importance of converting these advancements into economic growth through robust credit support.
Apurba Roy, Secretary, Finance and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, stressed the importance of channelizing credit into productive sectors like agriculture and allied activities. He encouraged bankers to prioritize key sectors such as startups, MSMEs, and businesses that enhance primary sector activities.
He underlined that with over 100 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) operational in the state, credit support is critical to increasing opportunities for farmers and developing sustainable livelihoods. Local investments must act as multipliers to ensure economic stability, and emphasis must be placed on achieving the Annual Credit Plan (ACP) targets with smart objectives.
He highlighted the transformative potential of SHGs (Self-Help Groups), exemplified by the entrepreneurial successes of “Lakhapati Didis,” and assured the banking sector of a “win-win” scenario through their active support.
Concluding the seminar, all stakeholders were thanked for their efforts and were encouraged to come together for the shared objective of fostering economic growth and empowering entrepreneurs. The seminar reinforced the opportunities in agriculture, MSMEs, and startups while showcasing the importance of credit-backed initiatives in achieving Tripura’s development vision.