Agartala (Tripura) [India], July 10 (ANI): Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday said that Tripura is one of the fastest-growing states in the country.

He said that the state has doubled its GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) in just six years.

'The Central Government as well as the State Government have made huge investments in public infrastructure like National Highways, Railways, Airports, reliable Internet and mobile connectivity, Waterways, and a wide banking network. We have an abundant stock of natural gas, rubber plantations, GI-tagged Queen Pineapple, premium agarwood, varied bamboo species, and a rich horticulture base,' said Dr. Saha.

CM Saha said this while addressing the Destination Tripura Business Conclave 2026 at the International Fair Ground.

The event was virtually attended by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Union DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Later, Dr. Saha said that Tripura is the third fully literate state with a large pool of technical and skilled manpower.

'Now, the time is ripe for private investment to take advantage of robust infrastructure and 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. This Business Conclave has brought together more than 500 business leaders, promoters, industrialists, and entrepreneurs to build 'Ek Tripura Shrestha Tripura'. An abundance of natural resources, all-weather connectivity, and business-friendly policies make Tripura an attractive investment destination. We have carried out extensive policy reforms in land, urban planning, industry, health, education, tourism, and several other sectors,' he said.

He said that, inspired by the appeal of the Prime Minister to implement the 'Reform Express', Tripura has secured the first rank among all the states and Union Territories in Deregulation and Compliance Reduction Phase I as well as Phase II.

'We have simplified the land-use change procedures, streamlined industrial and business permissions, built the Single Window Portal SWAAGAT, and introduced risk-based inspections. Government land is available on lease for social, educational, and commercial projects at very moderate rates. We are one of the few states that issue all industrial and business-related approvals through a single agency,' said Dr. Saha.

Dr. Saha said that during the last year, investment proposals worth more than Rs. 30,000 crore were received, out of which projects worth more than Rs. 8,000 crore have been grounded.

'We have 1,58,000 hectares of natural rubber plantations, the second largest in the country. A new Rubber Park has been set up at Santirbazar with provision for a Research & Development Centre, where quality rubber manufacturing, centrifuged latex products, foam, surgical, industrial, and household gloves can be set up. Rubberwood-based industries, including plywood and veneer manufacturing, and biochar plants using rubberwood waste are new investment opportunities,' he said.

'Similarly, we are expanding industrial bamboo cultivation to 45,000 hectares and setting up an integrated bamboo value chain park in Unakoti. With 2.27 crore agar trees, Tripura has India's leading and most credible agar ecosystem,' said Dr. Saha.

He said that investment opportunities are available in agar inoculum, agar oil distillation units, attar and perfume manufacturing, hydrosol, and wellness products.

'In agriculture and horticulture, potential investment areas are the establishment of cold chain infrastructure, tissue culture facilities, processing of pineapple and jackfruit, fibre extraction, dehydrated fruit processing, and rice husk and bran oil units. There is ample scope for establishing fish feed manufacturing plants, cluster-based fish farming, fermented and dried fish processing, fish markets and transhipment yards, and aqua tourism. We are building an energy ecosystem that is sustainable, technology-driven, and investment-friendly,' said Dr. Saha.

He said that the strategic location of Tripura, with its 856-km border with Bangladesh, makes it the gateway to Southeast Asia.

'Agartala-Akhaura International Rail Link, development of Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport as an international airport, Maitri Setu connecting Sabroom to Chattogram Port, and the Sonamura-Daudkandi Inland Water Transport route to Kolkata and Haldia ports through Bangladesh are real opportunities for a seamless multimodal transport and logistics ecosystem. Tripura offers immense opportunities in logistics parks, warehousing, cold-chain infrastructure, multimodal cargo hubs, electric mobility, commercial pilot training and aircraft maintenance engineering, heliports and air ambulance services, and seaplane operations at Dumbur Lake,' he said.

Dr. Saha said that the Government of Tripura is committed to transforming the state into a leading hub for healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical innovation.

He said that major infrastructure projects such as the Tripura IT & Data Ecosystem Zone (TIDEZ), the Innovation & Incubation Park, and a state-of-the-art IT Park are being developed to enable businesses to scale with confidence.

'I am happy to note that during the Destination Tripura Business Conclave 2026, more than 700 delegates are participating, and more than 250 MoUs are being inked with an investment intent of more than Rs. 1 lakh crore. With the proactive support of 'Team Tripura', we are highly confident that most of these MoUs will be converted into projects on the ground in the near future,' he added.

During the event, cabinet ministers, higher-ranking officials, Ambassadors and High Commissioners of nine countries, businessmen, and investors were present. (ANI)