New Delhi [India], May 24 (ANI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha announced that the state government is developing dedicated infrastructure to support AI and 5G development, as per a press release by the Tripura CMO.

Manik Saha said this while speaking at the Rising Northeast Investors Summit 2025 in New Delhi on Friday. The session was titled 'IT for Ashtalakshmi: Beyond the Bits and Bytes, Into AI and 5G.'

The Tripura CM announced that the Government of Tripura has allocated land for data centres, including one for Airtel, which will 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. Today, I am honoured to speak about the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence and 5G in the northeastern region, including my state, Tripura. As we gather at the North East Investment Summit, I would like to congratulate the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region for organising this important event', Manik Saha said during the event.

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', he added.

The Chief Minister stated that by embracing AI and 5G, people can unlock new avenues for growth, innovation, and prosperity. He 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 Centre Policy 2021. The Government of Tripura has allocated land for data centres, including one for Airtel, which will serve the entire eastern and northeastern region of India, located in Agartala,' he said.

He informed that recently, the Government of Tripura 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 Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.

'The state of Tripura 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. This digital transformation has enhanced transparency, efficiency, and accountability in our administration. 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', Manik Saha said. (ANI)