Personality — T N Minister Thangam Thennarasu
“The manufacturing sector of Tamil Nadu is all set to grow five’fold from $48.1 billion to over $250 billion during this decade,” mentions the policy note presented by Tamil Nadu Minister for Industries Thangam Thennarasu. Presenting the performance report of the industrial sector, the Minister indicated investment flows of Rs 23 trillion that would create 4.6 million jobs by 2030-31.
Minister Thennarasu mentioned that during 2021-22, the state government signed 13 memoranda of understandings with companies for an anticipated investment of around Rs 68,375 crore with a potential of creating over 2 lakh jobs. Thennarasu referred to Hosur emerging among the largest industrial growth centres. A new 3000 acre SIPCOT industrial park, the third one in Hosur, airport and an industrial housing township are proposed for Krishnagiri district, he said.
Chief Minister Stalin recorded his appreciation of the minister and officials of the industries department for making the state a preferred destination for investors. In tune with the expanding role of the department, Thennarasu said that the Industries Department will be renamed as Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department. The minister told the assembly that investments promised take time to fructify; roughly only a fourth of investments committed at the two Global Investors Meets organised in 2015 and 2019 fructified. Chief Minister Stalin would personally monitor the progress of each of the projects committed with the help of a dash board at his office, the Minister said.
THIRD TN GLOBAL INVESTORS MEET IN 2023
The third GIM is scheduled to be held by the end 2023. Development and promotional corporations of the state – TIDCO, TN Guidance and SIPCOT – will gear up for promoting GIM 2023. S Krishnan, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries, mentioned handsome investments flowing into hi-tech manufacturing in electronics/semiconductors, electric vehicles, solar power… He pointed to SIPCOT planning to offer 45,000 acres of developed land through the decade – much higher than the extent of land distributed through the last five decades.
Thennarasu (55), a graduate in engineering, had hands on experience in industry when he worked for a large fertiliser company for nine years. He was elected to the TN Legislative Assembly five times and was a former minister of school education. He pointed to the transformation of the industries department from its regulatory role in the pre-liberalisation era to the role of a facilitator since. The new thrust for development also relates to large investments in infrastructure like a second airport for Chennai Metro, a new airport for Hosur, high-speed expressways for rail and road, more plug and play tidel parks…
