Tripura Pushes Agribusiness Start-ups Through Nendran Banana Chips Initiative

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, January 10, 2026

In a significant step towards promoting agribusiness-based entrepreneurship in Tripura, the College of Agriculture, Tripura organized a one-day hands-on training programme on Processing and Value Addition of Nendran Banana on 9 January at its campus. The initiative focused on empowering rural entrepreneurs, self-help groups and aspiring start-ups through practical exposure to banana chips manufacturing.

The training programme was conducted under the project titled Promotion and Popularization of Nendran Banana through Mass Production, Field Demonstration and Hands-on Training of Chips Making for Entrepreneurship Development in Tripura, with support from the NABARD Tripura Regional Office.

A total of 30 participants attended the programme, including members of self-help groups from Bishalgarh and Hezamara, along with individual entrepreneurs from Bamutia and Agartala. The enthusiastic participation reflected the growing interest in value-added agricultural enterprises in the state.

Addressing the participants, Prof. Debashish Sen, Principal of the College of Agriculture, highlighted the vast scope for entrepreneurship development through banana-based products. He emphasized the strong marketing potential of Nendran banana in Tripura and expressed satisfaction over the keen interest and active involvement of the trainees.

Technical and practical guidance on Nendran banana processing was provided by Dr. Thingreingam Irenaeus KS Assistant Professor (Horticulture) and Principal Investigator of the project. He demonstrated the complete process of banana chips production, including selection of raw materials, processing techniques, hygiene and quality standards, packaging, storage, and utilization of various banana plant parts for value addition.

An interactive session was also held, during which Dr. Budhachandra Thangjam, Assistant Professor (Entomology), addressed farmers queries related to pest management in banana cultivation, providing practical solutions to enhance productivity and quality.

The programme concluded with a feedback session where participants expressed strong confidence in adopting banana chips making as a viable entrepreneurial venture. The trainees rated the chips prepared during the hands-on training a perfect ten out of ten, reflecting their satisfaction with both the quality of the product and the training received. Freshly prepared Nendran banana chips were distributed among the participants at the end of the programme.

The initiative marks another important effort towards strengthening agri-based start-ups in Tripura by linking skill development, value addition and market-oriented production.

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