Discover how AI and 5G are transforming the North Eastern Region of India, as highlighted by Tripura CM Dr Manik Saha at the Ministerial Session on IT for Ashtalaxmi. Learn about innovative applications in agriculture, healthcare, education, and governance, driving growth and prosperity in the region.
Agartala May 23: At the Ministerial Session on ‘IT for Ashtalaxmi: Beyond the Bits and Bytes, Into AI and 5G’, organized by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India, Chief Minister of Tripura, Dr Manik Saha, emphasized the transformative potential of AI and 5G technologies.
Held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, this event showcased how these cutting-edge technologies can drive innovation, efficiency, and socio-economic progress across the eight states of the region. From precision agriculture to smart governance, the convergence of AI and 5G is poised to unlock unprecedented opportunities, fostering sustainable growth and prosperity for Ashtalakshmi.
Taking part in the Ministerial Session on IT for Ashtalaxmi: Beyond the Bits and Bytes, Into Al and 5G’ organised by Ministry of DoNER, in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, stated that the theme resonates deeply with our collective aspirations.
He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given very meaningful nomenclature to the North Eastern Region of 8 States as Ashtalakshmi. These 8 States are gifted with natural beauty and abundant resources. They truly represent Goddess Lakshmi, embodiment of the multifaceted blessings of wealth, knowledge, strength, and prosperity. The programme held on Friday at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
In this programme Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha congratulated Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) for organizing this important event. He stated while 5G can transmit information quickly and at low latency, Al minimises operational complexity by utilising efficient algorithms to automate a wide range of process-meaning more speed, efficiency and cost saving.
It is a symbiotic relationship between 5G & Al. As Al expands, the cost of connectivity continue to decline. The convergence of 5G & Al, is not just about speed, it is going to cater the demands of next generation activities.
The powerful combination of 5G & Al – means greater innovation opportunities and some very interesting applications. Deploying Al applications at the edge with 5G, brings opportunities across industries including smart manufacturing. smart cities, media, retail logistics, automated ware houses, agriculture, healthcare, education, tourism, heritage conservation, disaster management, good governarice, through commercial drone- rescue operation, thermal imaging, aerial inspection, surveys, tracking and more.
The Chief Minister further added, by embracing Al and 5G, we can unlock new avenues for growth, innovation, and prosperity. 5G technology is not just an evolution of mobile networks; it’s a revolutionary enabler of socio-economic transformation. With data transmission speeds of up to 10 GBPS (Giga byte per second) and latency of under 1 millisecond, 5G can support over 1 million devices per square kilometer, opening up new possibilities for our region.
There are several applications based on Al and 5G in the real world which can be harnessed by all the North-Eastern States in the fields of — Precision Agriculture, where Al-powered weather alerts and loT-enabled soil sensors can increase crop yields by 15-20%, ensuring food security and rural prosperity.
In the field of Cultural and Creative Economy where, 5G can empower artisans to showcase their products in immersive virtual storefronts and 3D marketplaces, benefiting 7 lakh artisans in the North Eastern region, Education where, 5G-enabled classrooms can deliver real-time, interactive education, breaking geographical barriers and improving learning outcomes, Healthcare where, Al-powered telemedicine platforms can analyze patient vitals, medical history, and radiology scans in real-time, providing accurate preliminary diagnoses. Imagine, medical student emerged virtual reality environment, experiencing surgeries as if they were present.
Tripura has made significant progress in 5G deployment, with all towns and 583 villages already connected. The State has also framed policies to support telecom infrastructure development, including the Information Technology Policy 2022 and Data Centre Policy 2021.
In this programme the Chief Minister highlighted that Tripura has made significant progress in 5G deployment, with all towns and 583 villages already connected. The State has also framed policies to support telecom infrastructure development, including the Information Technology Policy 2022 and Data Centre Policy 2021. State has allocated land for Data Centres, including one to Airtel for entire Eastern & North-East India in Agartala.
He added, recently, organized a workshop on “Al for Good Governance: Driving Transparency, Efficiency & Impact” in collaboration with the National e-Governance Division and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.

This workshop highlighted the potential of Al in governance, including Enhancing Decision-Making, where Al can analyze vast amounts of data, providing insights that can inform policy decisions, Improving Service Delivery, where Al-powered chatbots can provide citizens with quick and efficient access to public services, Promoting Transparency and Efficiency, where Al can automate routine tasks, freeing up resources for more critical tasks.
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The Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha also mentioned that the State has implemented paperless administration, reducing the time required to dispose of files from 9 days to 3 days and saving over Rs.50 crore per year.
This digital transformation has enhanced transparency, efficiency, and accountability in our administration. He stated, as we move forward, we plan to leverage Al and 5G to drive growth, innovation, and prosperity in all the North-eastern States, so as to Develop Dedicated Infrastructure to support Al and 5G development, Introduce Single-Window Digital Platform to simplify access to public services through a digital interphase, Launch Department-Specific Al Pilot Projects to demonstrate the potential of Al in various departments.
The Chief Minister urged all stakeholders to prioritize digital literacy, equip our youth with future skills, and build inclusive infrastructure. By working together, we can shape a future where Al and 5G shall drive Growth, Innovation, and Prosperity for all the States of the Ashtalaxmi. Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha invited all the investors, Industry & Business Leaders to invest in all potential sectors. In this programme Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, MoS, Ministry of Rural Development & Communication, Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur, Investors, Industry & Business Leaders were present.