He was speaking at the second edition of Chennai Economic Summit organised by the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) in partnership with the State Planning Commission, Government of Tamil Nadu at Hotel Taj Connemara, Chennai.
Anchored around the theme “The Era of Tech Excellence and Intelligence: Jobs, Growth, and Priorities,” the Summit explored how technology, AI, frontier innovations and human capital can drive Tamil Nadu’s aspiration to become a USD 1 trillion economy by 2030, while ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth.
Hambyrajen Narsinghen said his country offers political and financial stability and attracts the highest number of visitors. He said that with the ongoing tariff war with the US, Indian exporters should look to diversify into Africa and Mauritius can be a good gateway.
The Minister noted that China is already actively penetrating the African market.
He also said the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) signed between India and Mauritius, which offers preferential access for many products, duty-free and quota-free.
In her special address, Ms. Sudha Ramen, IFS, Member Secretary, State Planning Commission, Government of Tamil Nadu, said the state think-tank has done a lot of work on AI, by bringing in a lot of people who have expertise and using that to transform industries.
“It is a misnomer that AI is going to reduce employment opportunities. It will be applicable horizontally across fields and will provide opportunities for upskilling and re-skilling,” she said.
Ms Ramen also noted that the State Planning Commission has formed a working group which is working on the quantum strategy of Tamil Nadu. IIT Madras is one of the four centres identified under the National Quantum Mission and the centre exclusively focuses on quantum communication. Apart from this, the Planning Commission will come out with an economic survey which will be released ahead of the interim budget.
Mr. V N Shiva Shankar, Senior Vice President, SICCI, spoke during the occasion and said Tamil Nadu is a leader in a lot of areas, but we want to be able to harness technology, innovations and skills as the state advances towards its mission of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy. He also stressed on the importance of MSMEs and its growth.
A special issue, “Tamil Diaspora – Connecting the Dots” was released at the event. The special issue was prepared by the Industrial Economist, the knowledge partner for the event.
Mr. Sajjansigh R. Chavan, IAS, Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, graced the occasion. V. Inbaviayan, Member, SICCI Executive Committee, delivered the concluding remarks.
The event also saw two panel discussions on The Human-Tech Equation- Reimaging Skills, Work, and Leadership in the AI Era and Frontiers of Discovery: Quantum Biotech, and the Science of the Future Economy.
