Tripura growing faster than 36 states & UTs combined: Scindia
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, January 23, 2026
Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday said Tripura had recorded economic growth well above the national average over the past decade, supported by increased central investment and infrastructure expansion in the northeastern region.
Speaking at a function at Pragna Bhavan during the inauguration and foundation stone laying of DoNER-funded projects, Scindia said the Centre had allocated about Rs 6.5 lakh crore for the Northeast over the last 12 years. He said mandatory earmarking of 10 per cent of budgets by all central ministries had significantly increased fund flow to the region, with the allocation touching nearly Rs one lakh crore in the last financial year.
The minister said Tripura’s GDP growth, which earlier remained between 3 and 4 per cent, had risen to around 10.5 to 11 per cent annually in the last decade, compared to a national growth rate of about 6.5 per cent during the same period. He also referred to global growth rates, which he said were currently in the range of 2.5 to 2.75 per cent.
Scindia said improved connectivity had played a key role in Tripura’s development, noting that the length of national highways in the state had increased to around 1,550 km from about 850 km a decade ago. He also cited gains in railway freight movement and air connectivity following the commissioning of the new terminal at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport.
He said Tripura and Guwahati were expected to function as important gateways linking the Northeast with Southeast Asia.
On industrial development, the minister said the DoNER ministry had secured investment commitments worth about Rs 55,000 crore through summits held in metro cities and efforts were underway to translate these into functioning industrial units across the region.
During the programme, Scindia inaugurated and laid foundation stones for eight infrastructure projects with a total cost of Rs 351 crore, including major road works, a tourism connectivity project, and a solar microgrid initiative under the PM-DevINE scheme.
Earlier, the minister said projects worth around Rs 550 crore would be dedicated in Tripura during his three-day visit. He also announced a pilot agarwood project for Tripura and Assam, with an Rs 80-crore processing unit to be set up at Kadamtala in North Tripura.
Chief Minister Manik Saha said Tripura’s development efforts had gained national recognition, with the state receiving over 300 awards at national and regional levels over the last decade.
more news...