Chennai, Mar 14 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu government on Friday announced a slew of measures to boost industrial development, including its plans to unveil a new Semi-Conductor Mission, besides setting up a Knowledge Corridor in Hosur.
Presenting the Budget for the year 2025-26 in the State Assembly, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said Tamil Nadu continues to be the leader in the export of electronics and the manufacturing of leather products, automobiles and auto components in the country.
The State also has the distinction of having 41 per cent of all women working in factories in India
and has topped the Export Preparedness Index released by the Union Government's NITI Aayog.
Noting that Tamil Nadu has been attracting substantial investments in the last two years, he said Tamil Nadu is India's leading state in electronics exports, accounting for 33 per cent of the country's total exports.
The state's electronics exports have witnessed significant growth, rising from USD 1.66 billion in 2020-21 to USD 9.56 billion in 2023-24, he said.
He said to sustain this leadership in electronics manufacturing and exports, the Government is implementing various measures.
As the next step, the State Government will launch and implement the ‘Tamil Nadu Semiconductor Mission-2030’ over the next five years with an estimated allocation of Rs.500 crore.
A ‘Semiconductor Fabless Lab’ will be established in Chennai at an estimated cost of Rs.100 crore
in collaboration with leading industry and academic institutions. World class semiconductor design companies and domestic start-ups will be encouraged to establish their design centres in Tamil Nadu.
Mr Thennarasu said to transform the Coimbatore region, known for its excellence in engineering
and foundry industries, into a modern industrial hub, semiconductor manufacturing parks will be established in Sulur, Coimbatore, spanning 100 acres, and near Palladam, covering an extent of
100 acres.
These industrial parks will be developed in collaboration with companies from the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan, and will propel the economic growth of the Coimbatore region
to the next level.
It was the visionary initiative of Muthamizh Arignar (former CM M Karunanidhi), the architect of modern Tamil Nadu, to establish Tidel Park in Chennai 25 years ago, laying the foundation for the state's Information Technology revolution.
Following his footsteps in expanding the information highway to all cities, a Tidel Park with high-end office facilities will be developed in Hosur, covering an area of 5 lakh sqft at a cost of Rs.400 crore and a mini-tidel park will be set up in Virudhunagar in the coming year, creating employment for 6,600 people.
The cities of Chennai and Coimbatore have been successful in attracting Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in Tamil Nadu.
Following this, the Government plans to position Hosur, which has been witnessing tremendous
industrial development, as a new hub for GCCs and research and development.
With this vision, a ‘Hosur Knowledge Corridor’ with world-class infrastructure facilities will be set up along Hosur city, akin to the transformation of Old Mamallapuram Road (OMR) in Chennai into an
IT corridor which would be equipped with all necessary facilities to support the establishment of GCCs and R&D centres of leading global IT firms.
This DMK government which follows the Dravidian Model of Governance, is working tirelessly to create more employment opportunities and extend equitable economic growth to all regions of the state.
To fulfill this vision, the following industrial initiatives will be undertaken. Over the past four years,
non-leather footwear industries are being established by leading companies in Villupuram, Ranipet,
Vellore, Kallakurichi, Karur, Perambalur and Ariyalur with an aim to create over one lakh jobs, with
80 per cent of the workforce being rural women.
Stating that Tamil Nadu has attracted the highest foreign investment in the country in this sector so far, the Minister said to further boost this high-employment sector, two new footwear parks in this manufacturing sector will be set up—one in Melur, Madurai district, creating 10,000 jobs, and another in Cuddalore, generating 10,000 jobs at a total investment of Rs.250 crore.
Additionally, SIPCOT will establish a dedicated footwear skill training facility in Kallakurichim, he
said, adding, a dedicated industrial park for the engineering and fabrication industry will be established in Trichy district, covering an area of 250 acres and creating 5,000 jobs in the central region.
In Thoothukudi, which has already drawn substantial investments in the green hydrogen and automobile sectors, a Man-Made Fibers (MMF) and Technical Textiles Industrial Park will be established.
New industrial parks will also be established in Cuddalore district over an area of 500 acres and
in Pudukottai district over an area of 200 acres, the Minister said.
Pointing out that Coimbatore holds a distinct position in the country for its pump manufacturing and foundry industry, he said to drive the growth of these industries to the next level in collaboration with the private sector and industry associations, TIDCO will establish a Centre of Excellence for advanced pump motor manufacturing and a Centre of Excellence for foundry in Coimbatore.
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