Union Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia and Piyush Goyal highlighted Tripura’s emergence as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia during the Destination Tripura Business Conclave 2026, showcasing investment opportunities, rapid economic growth, improved connectivity, industrial expansion and the state’s strategic role under the Act East Policy.
Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday described Tripura as one of India’s fastest-emerging investment destinations, stating that the state is steadily transforming into the country’s gateway to Southeast Asia under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Act East Policy.
Addressing the inaugural session of the two-day Destination Tripura Business Conclave-2026 through virtual mode, Scindia said Tripura now stands at the crossroads of connectivity, commerce and opportunity, making it an attractive destination for domestic and international investors looking for long-term growth.
Calling upon industrialists and entrepreneurs to become partners in Tripura’s development journey, the Union Minister said the conclave serves as an important platform to showcase the state’s immense economic potential while encouraging investments that will generate employment, promote entrepreneurship and strengthen inclusive economic growth.
“Guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s transformative Act East Policy and the steadfast leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, Tripura is fast emerging as a preferred investment destination and India’s gateway to Southeast Asia,” Scindia said.
He noted that Tripura possesses several competitive advantages, including its strategic geographical location bordering Bangladesh, abundant natural resources, a skilled workforce, improved infrastructure and investor-friendly governance. These strengths, he said, position the state as an ideal destination for industries across multiple sectors.
Highlighting the state’s remarkable economic progress, Scindia said Tripura’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has nearly doubled over the past few years, reaching approximately Rs 90,000 crore, reflecting sustained economic expansion and an increasingly favourable business environment.
The Union Minister also underlined Tripura’s dominance in bamboo production, stating that the state is India’s largest producer of bamboo and the country’s second-largest producer of natural rubber. These natural resources provide tremendous opportunities for value addition, manufacturing and exports, particularly to neighbouring Southeast Asian markets.
Scindia further revealed that investment proposals worth more than Rs 30,000 crore had been received during the previous year, with projects valued at over Rs 8,000 crore already entering the implementation stage. This, he said, demonstrates growing investor confidence in the state’s industrial ecosystem and policy framework.
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, who also addressed the inaugural session through video conferencing, stressed that the development of the North Eastern region is not only essential for economic prosperity but also strategically important for the nation’s security.
Referring to Tripura’s impressive economic transformation, Goyal said the state’s GSDP had increased from approximately Rs 19,200 crore in 2011-12 to nearly Rs 90,000 crore in 2024-25, reflecting the impact of sustained development initiatives undertaken by the Central Government over the past decade.
“This transformative journey of the last 12 to 13 years reflects the development initiatives undertaken by the Central Government,” Goyal said.
Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interpretation of the acronym EAST as Empower, Act, Strengthen and Transform, Goyal said the Prime Minister has consistently viewed the northeastern region as India’s “Astalakshmi” or eight forms of prosperity.
“East is not merely a direction. The eight states of the Northeast are India’s Astalakshmi. Industrialisation of Tripura is extremely important—not only for the state’s economy and the brighter future of its people but also from the country’s security perspective,” Goyal stated.
Industry and Commerce Department Secretary Kiran Gitte highlighted the state’s continuous efforts to build a robust investment ecosystem over the past few years. He said Tripura has witnessed a steady inflow of investments across diverse sectors, encouraging the government to organise a comprehensive multi-sectoral business conclave involving all major departments and organisations under one platform.
According to Gitte, the integrated approach adopted for the conclave aims to create greater synergy among stakeholders while enabling investors to interact directly with government departments responsible for policy implementation and industrial facilitation.
“Through administrative reforms and sustained business outreach, Tripura’s reputation has spread across every corner of the country,” Gitte said.
He informed that the conclave witnessed participation from diplomats representing South Africa, Chile, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Laos, the Philippines, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, alongside industrialists, investors, business leaders and hundreds of official delegates from across India. The Chairperson of the North East Chapter of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) also attended the event.
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To generate greater investor interest ahead of the conclave, the Tripura government organised four major investment roadshows in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Guwahati, showcasing the state’s industrial strengths, infrastructure, policy support and emerging business opportunities.
The Destination Tripura Business Conclave-2026 is expected to strengthen Tripura’s position as a preferred investment destination in the Northeast while accelerating industrial growth, employment generation and export-oriented development. With improved connectivity, strategic international access through Bangladesh, expanding infrastructure and strong policy support under the Act East framework, the state is aiming to establish itself as a major economic gateway connecting India with Southeast Asia.
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Government officials expressed confidence that the conclave would pave the way for new investment partnerships, encourage innovation across sectors and further reinforce Tripura’s growing role in India’s economic and strategic engagement with neighbouring countries.
