Tamil Nadu advances towards vision of distributed growth with slew of projects

Chennai: Tamil Nadu is progressing on its plan towards registering an all round growth with a slew of projects across business segments focusing on tier 2 and 3 cities.

Chief Minister M K Stalin, soon after assuming office in May 2021, asserted that his government would focus on developing tier 2 and 3 cities along with the metros for an all round industrial growth across the state.

The industries department has emphasised on generating high-quality, high paying jobs in every corner of the State by establishing manufacturing facilities of automobile companies, mini TIDEL Parks and State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) industrial parks among others.

Some of the significant projects that assume significance are the Rs 9,000 crore manufacturing plant in Ranipet by automobile manufacturer Tata Motors, setting up of Neo Tidel Parks boosting infrastructure establishment of electric vehicle manufacturing facility by Vietnam based EV maker VinFast in Tuticorin among others.

"One of the core pillars of the (DMK Chief and the Chief Minister) Stalin era of industrial growth in Tamil Nadu is distributed growth, and the world is now seeing this vision unfold." Minister for Industries TRB Rajaa said.

"Over the past 3 years, we have made a deliberate push to take big investments beyond established powerhouses like Chennai. We have laid the groundwork for the growth of regions like Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Madurai, the Delta, North West and Northern Districts including Ranipet and brought renewed vigour to areas like Coimbatore and Trichy." he noted.

Besides automobile manufacturing facilities, Tamil Nadu, to garner a larger pie in the information technology space, is attracting a large part of IT companies to set up shops in MiniTidel parks in Tier 2 and 3 cities including Tuticorin, Thanjavur and Villupuram districts.

According to industry experts, TIDEL Neo Parks are comparatively smaller in size than the TIDAL Parks situated in metros. The TIDEL Neo Parks are being set up to accommodate IT/IT enabled Service companies as it would not only boost growth in the region but would also provide job opportunities for the locals.

"TIDELNeo in Tuticorin is fully leased even before its official opening. Chief Minister M K Stalin will soon open the fully occupied Mini Tidel Park" Rajaa said.

"Tamil Nadu is a state with the most widely distributed availability of highly skilled talent and infrastructure needed to ensure that the talent gets jobs. Hence TN Talent Capital of India." Spread across 4.16 acres, the Mini IT Park offers 50,937 sq ft of workspace which is equipped with top-notch amenities including Integrated Building Management System and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and air-conditioning) solutions.

A similar TIDEL Neo Park in Thanjavur has been set up and it has garnered one hundred per cent occupancy with companies booking space to set up their office in the property.

With the demand for setting up new offices in Tier 2 locations increasing particularly in Thanjavur, industry department is also looking to take up Phase 2 expansion of TIDEL NeoPark inorder to address the demand.

"This is a new milestone in industrial growth in Thanjavur as we continue to attract companies and create more Jobs for Tamil Nadu..." he said.

Similar to setting up TIDEL NEO Parks in Tuticorin and Thanjavur, the government has expanded its presence by establishing the first MiniTidel Park in the Villupuram district.

The inauguration of the Mini-TIDEL Park in Villupuram would mark a significant leap and emphasizes the commitment of the government to a distributed growth across Tamil Nadu by providing IT infrastructure and creating employment opportunities enabling youth to get an access to high quality jobs in their respective hometowns.

The Mini TIDEL Parks can accommodate about 500 IT professionals equipped with air conditioning facility, high-speed internet, uninterrupted power supply among many others.

Another big ticket investments attracted by the Tamil Nadu government to boost industrial growth is from Vietnam-based electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast which has committed investments worth Rs 16,000 crore to establish an electric vehicle car and battery manufacturing facility in Tuticorin.

In the first phase, VinFast would invest Rs 4,000 crore over the next five years that would generate 3,500 jobs in Tuticorin region. The plant would have a capacity to produce 1.50 lakh vehicles once it becomes operational.

Apart from automobiles and NEO TIDEL Parks, in a bid to give a boost to renewable energy, TP Solar Ltd, a subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd commenced production of solar cells at the largest single-facility location in Tirunelveli thereby aiding domestic manufacturing of cells and modules that are needed to convert sunlight into electricity.

The commencement of commercial production is from the 2GW solar cell line at its manufacturing facility in Tirunelveli. The company has committed nearly Rs 4,300 crore towards the establishment of this facility.

The solar cells and modules produced at the facility would initially cater to the company's ongoing projects, further strengthening its supply chain.