Tripura Govt Signs MoU With NSE to Boost Financial Literacy, MSME Capital Access
Jul 28, 2026
As part of an ongoing drive to modernize state administration and public institutions, Tripura Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha joined senior government officials and market executives in Agartala on Tuesday to sign a pact with the National Stock Exchange (NSE) designed to build internal financial governance and train master educators state-wide.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) brings together the Swami Vivekananda State Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (SIPARD), the Directorate of Industries and Commerce, and the Directorate of Skill Development alongside the country's primary financial exchange. The partnership seeks to build a structured framework for financial literacy, investor protection, and specialized market training for students, entrepreneurs, government functionaries, and local business owners across the state.
Under the terms of the agreement, NSE and the Directorate of Skill Development will jointly design educational curricula covering key areas such as capital markets, mutual funds, insurance, and investment advisory. According to official details, NSE will bear the complete cost of running the programs, while the state government will provide the physical training infrastructure and venues. To ensure the initiative remains self-sustaining, SIPARD and NSE will establish an internal network of certified master trainers within Tripura to deliver ongoing financial education.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Manik Saha highlighted the necessity of financial education in preventing economic exploitation. He recalled that Tripura was severely impacted by past financial frauds, including the Sharada and Rose Valley scams, leaving thousands of depositors still awaiting refunds after more than a decade.
"Those families who were trapped by chit funds were not illiterate, but they were uninformed about financial markets," Saha said. He warned that fraudulent operators continue to target citizens through new mediums, including fake trading applications, social media messages promising guaranteed returns, unregistered financial advisors, and illegal dabba trading platforms. He noted that regulated markets operating under Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) guidelines provide essential investor protection, disclosure norms, and formal grievance redressal mechanisms.
Turning to state economic development, the Chief Minister emphasized that traditional bank credit is no longer sufficient to meet the growing demands of local enterprise. Out of more than 2,15,000 registered Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Tripura, currently about 45,000 are active. By utilizing NSE’s SME exchange platform, growing businesses in key sectors such as agro-processing, handloom, bamboo crafts, and rubber manufacturing can raise equity capital directly from national investors. Unlike bank loans, equity financing does not require immediate collateral or monthly interest payments, allowing businesses to reinvest capital into scaling operations and modernizing technology.
Moreover, the Chief Minister urged state-owned public sector undertakings and public authorities to explore listing minority stakes on the exchange to raise long-term capital. Entities including the Tripura State Electricity Corporation, Tripura Industrial Development Corporation, Tripura Urban Planning and Development Authority, Tripura Housing Board, Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency, and Tripura Jal Board require substantial capital that cannot be met through state budgetary allocations alone. Market exposure, he noted, will introduce greater corporate discipline, transparency, and operational efficiency into these public bodies.
The financial literacy initiative complements broader skill development and digitization programs in the state. Tripura has previously partnered with Tata Technologies to upgrade 19 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) to train 5,000 candidates annually in modern technical skills, and teamed up with the Ramakrishna Mission to set up a foreign language school. Meanwhile, the state administration now operates digitally from the Cabinet down to the Gram Panchayat level, processing business clearances and public services through a paperless, single-window system.
The MoU signing follows the Recent Destination Tripura Business Conclave 2026, where 466 MoUs worth Rs 1,29,256 crore were signed across multiple economic sectors.
The ceremony was attended by Chief Secretary Jitendra Kumar Sinha, Secretary Kiran Gitte, SIPARD Director Apurba Roy, NSE Chief Regulatory Officer Ankit Sharma, and NSE Senior Vice President for Business Development Krishnan Iyer, alongside officials from the Reserve Bank of India, representatives of Tripura University, local banking executives, and students.
