Tamil Nadu govt to facilitate tie-ups for EV startups with state industries

CHENNAI: To attract and nurture the growth of Electric Vehicles (EV) startups in the State, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to facilitate partnerships with industries through the Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (TNSIM).

The Startup and Innovation Mission undertakes various initiatives to nurture and support startups in the State.

Startups will encourage the students in areas such as EV charging, Electric Mobility as a service and battery technology. Accordingly, the State government will promote Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Madurai, Salem and Tirunelveli as pilot cities for implementing e-mobility solutions through startups.

Claiming that Tamil Nadu is the EV capital of India and the number one exporter of electronic goods and its export of electronics goods touched $5.37 billion in 2022-23, accounting for a 23 per cent share in the electronics market, a senior official from Higher Education, who coordinates with the technical institutions and students, to encourage startup operations, said there would be a single point receipt of applications for securing clearances that are required to establish startups.

Stating that till now, out of 2,784 applications received from entrepreneurs across the State, he said Tamil Nadu has a flourishing EV startup ecosystem with several startups having transitioned to commercial production in the State.

“The presence of several incubation centres, most notably the IIT Madras Research Park has played a key role in the growth of startups across the EV value chain,” he added.

“The concerned authorities in TNSIM will undertake steps to increase the number of incubation centres for EV startups, which provide incubation services such as office space, common facilities, and mentoring support. He said to encourage more students to become entrepreneurs research programmes will be introduced in technical institutes and research establishments in areas such as batteries, battery management systems, powertrains, and motors/controllers in collaboration with industries.

Pointing out that certification for EVs is extensive and forms a major expense for EV firms, especially startups, the State government through the Quality Certification Incentive (QCI) seeks to support firms in obtaining certifications for their products.

Stating that Tamil Nadu has a vision of attracting Rs 50,000 crore worth of investments in the EV manufacturing sector and creation of 1.5 lakh new jobs during the Policy period and development of a robust EV ecosystem in the State, he said Tamil Nadu has transformed itself into country’s leading EV manufacturing hub over last five years.