Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, she said that the Tamil Nadu Government had initiated a comprehensive intervention to revive industrial activity at the Manapparai SIPCOT Industrial Park with a focus on converting allotted industrial plots into operational factories, employment and economic activity.
Responding to a question in the Legislative Assembly, Keerthana said that the 1,097.86-acre Manapparai SIPCOT Industrial Park currently had only four companies in operation, even though land had been allotted for 32 factories.
She said that the gap between land allocation and actual industrial activity was a clear indication that investors were facing basic infrastructure and facilitation challenges that needed to be resolved on the ground.
As part of the Government’s SIPCOT Revival Mission, the Minister and the Member of the Legislative Assembly jointly inspected the Manapparai SIPCOT park on 26 May.
During the inspection, the Government met investors and identified several critical bottlenecks, including inadequate water supply, road connectivity, streetlights, public transport, security infrastructure and dedicated power infrastructure, Keerthana said.
Following the inspection, the Government had taken time-bound action to address these issues, she added.
Trial runs for drinking and industrial water supply under the Cauvery Water Scheme commenced on 1 June 2026. Following rectification of deficiencies identified during the trial, water supply had been successfully extended to all allotted plots as of 7 July 2026, the Minister added.
In addition, a second water supply arrangement through TNPL had also been implemented to strengthen the park’s water availability, she said.
Investors had specifically raised concerns regarding road connectivity within the industrial park. Following the inspection, tender allocation for road infrastructure was completed on 6 July, Keerthana said.
Orders were being released for execution of road and streetlight works, addressing one of the key infrastructure constraints highlighted by investors, she added.
The absence of a dedicated power substation was another major concern raised by investors, the Minister said.
Recognising that reliable electricity infrastructure was essential not only for existing units but also for future industrial expansion, land had been identified for a 110 kV substation to meet the projected power requirements of the park, she added.
The gift deed and registration for the required land had now been completed, paving the way for development of the sub-station, the Minister added.
Investors and workers had also highlighted the lack of adequate public bus connectivity to the SIPCOT premises, making it difficult for workers to access employment opportunities in the park, she noted.
Following intervention by the Industries Department and communication with the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, public bus services had now commenced to improve connectivity for workers and local residents, Keerthana said.
The Government had also acted on individual regulatory bottlenecks affecting companies operating in the park, she added.
The Minister highlighted the example of a PepsiCo unit that had been waiting for approvals for quite some time and following the Government’s intervention, the pending approval process was expedited and the required approval had now been granted.
The industrial park previously lacked CCTV infrastructure. Arrangements had now been made to establish CCTV-based security facilities within the premises, strengthening safety and security for companies, workers and visitors, Keerthana said.
The Minister said that the Manapparai experience highlighted a larger issue facing several industrial parks across Tamil Nadu.
“An industrial park cannot be considered successful merely because land has been acquired and plots have been allotted. The real measure is whether factories are being established, whether people are getting jobs and whether economic activity is taking place,” she noted.
Keerthana said that several SIPCOT parks across the State had significant tracts of land where plots had been allotted but industries had not commenced operations due to gaps in supporting infrastructure.
Under the SIPCOT Revival Mission, the Government was undertaking on-ground inspections, directly engaging with investors and identifying the specific infrastructure and administrative constraints preventing industrialisation, she said.
The Government had already initiated infrastructure development at Manapparai. About Rs 43.6 crore had been allocated by SIPCOT for infrastructure works in the new phase, including roads, stormwater drains, culverts and streetlights, Keerthana said.
The Minister said that the objective was to ensure that industrial parks across Tamil Nadu evolved from being mere land banks into fully functional, investment-ready industrial ecosystems capable of attracting investment, supporting manufacturing and creating employment.
The Government would continue the SIPCOT Revival Mission across the State with a focus on removing bottlenecks on the ground and ensuring that Tamil Nadu’s industrial infrastructure kept pace with its ambition to become a globally competitive manufacturing and investment destination, Keerthana said.