‘TN government focussing on a policy-driven approach and continuity in governance'

CHENNAI: What are some of the achievements of the present administration on the industrial, economic and job-creation front?

Among the most industrialised states of India contributing around 9 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country, Tamil Nadu is also an export leader in many sectors. To regain growth momentum, the State has been building on its strengths over the past two years under the leadership of Chief Minister MK Stalin. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Tamil Nadu recognised the need to revive industrial production and introduced fresh measures to remove supply chain bottlenecks and operational restrictions for essential commodity facilities and continuous process industries. The government has also focussed on facilitating investments at a faster pace and enabled businesses to operate with more ease.

With a highly developed industrial manufacturing ecosystem, Tamil Nadu has become the largest manufacturing hub for automobiles, auto-components, textiles, leather products, light and heavy engineering, pumps and motors, electronic software, and hardware. That we have emerged as the No 1 State in electronic goods exports and ranked No 1 in the Export Preparedness Index, and that our Ease of Business Rankings have improved from No 14 to No 3, are proof of this.

In the past two years, the government of Tamil Nadu has secured more than 240 new investments valued at around Rs. 3 lakh crore, generating job opportunities for more than 4.1 lakh people.

The present administration focusses on a policy-driven approach and continuity in governance. Since assuming power, the government has unveiled several sector-specific policies to promote growth across all sectors.

What is the government doing to enable the Ease of Doing Business?

The Tamil Nadu government has several initiatives for better Ease of Doing Business. Some of them include the Tamil Nadu Single Window Portal (TNSWP) – a one-stop destination to obtain all business-related licences, clearances and approvals in a time-bound manner.

The government’s Biz Buddy portal is an online initiative to redress grievances of investors and industries in a transparent, time-bound and hassle-free manner. Under this initiative, more than 20 government departments, more than 100 agencies and more than 150 officers are involved to ensure speedy resolution of industry-related grievances.

The State government has also taken steps to remove bottlenecks to ensure projects proceed at a faster pace.

What are the upskilling initiatives being undertaken by the administration to mitigate the loss of manpower?

The State government’s Skill Development Corporation synergises activities of industries, industrial associations, training partners, sector skill councils, and assessment agencies, apart from various other State and central Government bodies. It ensures placement-oriented and quality skill-training by empanelling private and government training partners.

The government’s pioneering Naan Mudhalvan scheme provides dynamic information for college students on courses and relevant information about industry-specific skill offerings. This will enable the students of Tamil Nadu to get training in their chosen field of interest that will help them achieve their career goals.

The Information and Communication Technology Academy of Tamil Nadu (ICT Academy) is another agency that prepares youth to meet the industry’s skill requirements and generate more employment, especially in tier 2 and 3 towns.

How is Tamil Nadu marketing itself to woo marquee international investors?

Tamil Nadu has been home to global conglomerates in multiple sectors for a very long time. Be it automobiles, R&D, or electronic component manufacture, marquee investors have returned to the State to expand their operations or have chosen it for launching their businesses. These investors have come back to the State repeatedly, reposing their faith and trust in Tamil Nadu. This establishes our credential as a vibrant industrial state and is thus one of our main selling points.

The other significant advantage Tamil Nadu has is our highly skilled, efficient and disciplined workforce.

Tamil Nadu is one of the few governments in India with a stable, secure government with an excellent law and order situation. The focus of the policy-driven government is on its efficient governance and administration, swift response to investors, offering them the best ecosystem. For investors, this is important. There are several strengths which Tamil Nadu has, because of which it is home to more than 130 Fortune 500 companies. In the recent two years alone, the State has witnessed investments from Foxconn, Hitachi Energy, Coherent, Omron, St. Gobain, Walmart, Akkodis, Elgi Sauer, Amazon, Alten, Wood PLC, Visteon, Trimble.