Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha today said engineers are the backbone of nation-building, playing a crucial role in both national and state-level development. 

He also announced that Airtel will establish a data center in Tripura — the first in the Eastern Zone.

Speaking at the 58th Engineer’s Day celebrations at Pragya Bhavan, Dr. Saha paid tribute to Bharat Ratna Dr. M. Visvesvaraya, recalling his contributions to water resource management. Extending greetings to engineers, he highlighted the state’s institutions such as NIT Agartala, IIIT, Tripura Institute of Technology, and other engineering colleges that are nurturing talent.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a vision of a developed India by 2047, and Tripura too has prepared a roadmap toward becoming a developed state by then. Infrastructure is the key to this goal, and engineers are indispensable in every aspect — from buildings and bridges to digital systems,” he said.

The Chief Minister noted that nearly ₹7,000 crore has been allocated for infrastructure in the latest budget and stressed the need for engineers to ensure quality and accuracy in project implementation. He added that technology-driven governance has already taken shape in Tripura with the rollout of e-offices across administrative levels.

Highlighting the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, Dr. Saha said Tripura has around 2.1 lakh MSME entrepreneurs. “We have already allotted land to Airtel for the data center. This milestone project will put Tripura on the digital map of India,” he said, adding that new technologies such as drones and AI would also strengthen health services in the state.

“On this Engineer’s Day, we must pledge to harness our own resources and innovation to improve people’s lives, raise per capita income, and accelerate the state’s GSDP growth,” Dr. Saha concluded.