Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday, 2 October 2026, launched a series of youth-focused schemes in Agartala, asserting that combining technology with the inherent talent of the state's young population is essential to drive innovation and advance India's goal of becoming a developed nation — 'Viksit Bharat'.

Key Schemes Launched

At the event, CM Saha inaugurated three flagship initiatives: the Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026, the Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana for the 2025-26 academic year, and Digi-SAPNE 3.0. He also formally unveiled a renovated and redeveloped auditorium at the venue. The launches signal Tripura's push to position itself as a participant in India's broader digital and startup economy.

What CM Saha Said

'We need to combine technology with their talent. If we can combine technology with talent, they will be able to involve themselves more in innovative work,' CM Saha said at the launch event. He emphasised that the future generation would be increasingly technology-dependent and that there was 'no dearth of talent' among students and youth in the state.

Saha also underlined the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, noting that Modi had consistently used platforms such as Mann Ki Baat to guide and acknowledge the innovative thinking of students and youth across the country. 'The state government is also keen to use their ideas for the development of the state,' he added.

Scheme Details and Beneficiaries

The Mukhyamantri Yuba Yogayog Yojana has reportedly benefited 63,249 people over the past five years, with each beneficiary receiving ₹5,000. At the event, CM Saha handed over grant cheques of ₹10 lakh each to 10 young entrepreneurs selected under Digi-SAPNE 3.0 to support their startup ventures.

Digi-SAPNE 3.0 is specifically designed to support technology-driven startups in the Northeast through a combination of mentorship, business acceleration, investor connections, and broader ecosystem support — addressing a long-standing gap in startup infrastructure in the region.

The Seva First Innovation Challenge focuses on ideas across five thematic pillars: a clean and stable India, a prosperous India, a healthy and integrated India, an educated and skilled India, and a secure India.

Who Attended

The programme was attended by senior officials including Higher Education Minister Kishor Barman, Information Technology and Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy, Sikkim Manipal University Vice Chancellor Gopalakrishna Prabhu, MeitY Software Industry Promotion Division official Rajeshwar Singh Jenwar, IT and Finance Department Secretary P.K. Goyal, and Secretary to the Chief Minister Kiran Gitte.

Broader Context

This comes amid a wider national push to harness youth talent and digital infrastructure in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and states. Tripura, like several other northeastern states, has historically lagged behind in startup activity and digital adoption relative to metros. Initiatives such as Digi-SAPNE and the Seva First Innovation Challenge represent an effort to close that gap by embedding northeastern youth into national innovation frameworks. How effectively the Centre's MeitY collaboration translates to sustained startup growth in the region will be closely watched.