Wednesday, February 11, 2026
writingonblog uncensored: Tamil Nadu’s electronics exports surge nearly nine...
writingonblog uncensored: Tamil Nadu’s electronics exports surge nearly nine...: CHENNAI: Electronics exports from Tamil Nadu have surged nearly ninefold over four years, rising from $1.65bn in 2021 to $14.65bn in 2...
Tamil Nadu’s electronics exports surge nearly ninefold in four years
CHENNAI:
Electronics exports from Tamil Nadu have surged nearly ninefold over four years, rising from $1.65bn in 2021 to $14.65bn in 2024-25, as the state strengthens its position at the centre of India’s electronics manufacturing push. Industries minister T R B Rajaa said the state was aiming to cross $18bn in electronics exports this financial year, even as India’s overall electronics exports could touch $45bn. He said the Centre's Niryat Portal has yet to update the data.
Addressing the two-day 15th edition of Source India – Electronics Supply Chain in Chennai on Tuesday, industries minister T R B Rajaa said Tamil Nadu is positioning itself as the electronics manufacturing hub of the global south, leveraging scale, exports and a growing ecosystem that the state government says serves not just regional but national ambitions.
He said the state accounted for 31 per cent of India’s electronics production and 41 per cent of the country’s electronics exports. “Everything Tamil Nadu does is for India,” he said, adding that the state was steadily moving up the value chain.
Rajaa said Tamil Nadu’s next phase of growth would hinge on research and development, building on its strengths in manufacturing and services. “The next big thing we want to do is R&D, and I want all of you to invest in it,” he told industry representatives, stressing that global demand was shifting from low-cost products to quality-driven manufacturing. “India wants quality, and Tamil Nadu wants to stand for quality.”
He said the state’s exposure to multinational manufacturers from Japan, Korea, Germany and Taiwan had given it an edge in absorbing global best practices. Education reforms would be critical to sustaining this advantage, Rajaa said, adding that embedding quality standards in school education would be a priority if the ruling DMK secured a second term.
The minister also highlighted the state’s emphasis on employment over headline investment numbers. Tamil Nadu has created about 24,000 high-end engineering jobs in electronics manufacturing, he said, and women’s participation in factory work was rising, aided by initiatives such as free bus travel for women.
Referring to the electronics manufacturing clusters (EMCs) scheme, Rajaa said Tamil Nadu had added value to the programme, with five of the seven EMC projects located in the state and 69 per cent of all jobs created under the scheme going to Tamil Nadu.
Industry leaders echoed the state’s role in India’s electronics push. Sasikumar Gendham, president of ELCINA, said electronics had become “the infrastructure for modern civilisation”, underpinning sectors ranging from healthcare and mobility to defence, energy and artificial intelligence. As global supply chains are re-engineered around resilience and reliability, India stood at a critical inflection point, he said, with Tamil Nadu demonstrating what policy clarity and skilled talent could deliver.
Atul Lall, vice-chairman and managing director of Dixon Technologies India, said the next phase of competitiveness would depend on deeper localisation, stronger component ecosystems and sustained investment in technology and skills.
During the inaugural session, ELCINA released a report on Tamil Nadu’s electronics industry, highlighting its manufacturing scale, export growth and opportunities for further localisation.
Electronics exports from Tamil Nadu have surged nearly ninefold over four years, rising from $1.65bn in 2021 to $14.65bn in 2024-25, as the state strengthens its position at the centre of India’s electronics manufacturing push. Industries minister T R B Rajaa said the state was aiming to cross $18bn in electronics exports this financial year, even as India’s overall electronics exports could touch $45bn. He said the Centre's Niryat Portal has yet to update the data.
Addressing the two-day 15th edition of Source India – Electronics Supply Chain in Chennai on Tuesday, industries minister T R B Rajaa said Tamil Nadu is positioning itself as the electronics manufacturing hub of the global south, leveraging scale, exports and a growing ecosystem that the state government says serves not just regional but national ambitions.
He said the state accounted for 31 per cent of India’s electronics production and 41 per cent of the country’s electronics exports. “Everything Tamil Nadu does is for India,” he said, adding that the state was steadily moving up the value chain.
Rajaa said Tamil Nadu’s next phase of growth would hinge on research and development, building on its strengths in manufacturing and services. “The next big thing we want to do is R&D, and I want all of you to invest in it,” he told industry representatives, stressing that global demand was shifting from low-cost products to quality-driven manufacturing. “India wants quality, and Tamil Nadu wants to stand for quality.”
He said the state’s exposure to multinational manufacturers from Japan, Korea, Germany and Taiwan had given it an edge in absorbing global best practices. Education reforms would be critical to sustaining this advantage, Rajaa said, adding that embedding quality standards in school education would be a priority if the ruling DMK secured a second term.
The minister also highlighted the state’s emphasis on employment over headline investment numbers. Tamil Nadu has created about 24,000 high-end engineering jobs in electronics manufacturing, he said, and women’s participation in factory work was rising, aided by initiatives such as free bus travel for women.
Referring to the electronics manufacturing clusters (EMCs) scheme, Rajaa said Tamil Nadu had added value to the programme, with five of the seven EMC projects located in the state and 69 per cent of all jobs created under the scheme going to Tamil Nadu.
Industry leaders echoed the state’s role in India’s electronics push. Sasikumar Gendham, president of ELCINA, said electronics had become “the infrastructure for modern civilisation”, underpinning sectors ranging from healthcare and mobility to defence, energy and artificial intelligence. As global supply chains are re-engineered around resilience and reliability, India stood at a critical inflection point, he said, with Tamil Nadu demonstrating what policy clarity and skilled talent could deliver.
Atul Lall, vice-chairman and managing director of Dixon Technologies India, said the next phase of competitiveness would depend on deeper localisation, stronger component ecosystems and sustained investment in technology and skills.
During the inaugural session, ELCINA released a report on Tamil Nadu’s electronics industry, highlighting its manufacturing scale, export growth and opportunities for further localisation.
writingonblog uncensored: Danish Industry turns to Tamil Nadu engineers to p...
writingonblog uncensored: Danish Industry turns to Tamil Nadu engineers to p...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Danish Industry plans to deploy Tamil Nadu engineers to Denmark under a joint pilot with the state government, ...
Danish Industry turns to Tamil Nadu engineers to plug skills gap
C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Danish Industry plans to deploy Tamil Nadu engineers to Denmark under a joint pilot with the state government, even as Danish companies expand research and development and scale up their Chennai presence to address skills shortages and support long-term investment.
Under the pilot project, being undertaken jointly with the Tamil Nadu government, the state will identify candidates while Danish Industry will screen 50 mechanical engineering graduates for placement in Denmark, said Jesper Bollerup Gade, managing director of Danish Industry India.
Speaking after the inauguration of the Confederation of Danish Industry’s new office and workspace in Pallavaram, Chennai, Gade said the programme marked a shift in how Danish companies viewed India’s engineering talent.
“When Danish Industry first came to India in 2022, the idea was to scout for relatively cheaper manpower to do jobs Danish engineers found less attractive. That has changed,” he said. “Engineers in Chennai are so good that, in many cases, they are actually better than Danish engineers.”
The growing confidence in Indian talent has prompted Danish companies to move more innovation-led work, including research and development, to India, particularly Tamil Nadu. Gade said the Technical University of Denmark already has a collaboration with IIT Madras, with discussions under way with other technical institutions in Chennai.
Reflecting the deepening engagement, Gade said Danish Industry had started operations in Chennai in 2022 with a 10-seater office in Guindy, but within four years had expanded to a 140-seater facility, underscoring the importance Denmark places on Chennai as a strategic base in India.
Engineers recruited under the programme would be paid on par with their Danish counterparts and supported through what Gade described as an ethical recruitment process, with emphasis on individual welfare and cultural integration.
“This is a pilot project, but it will continue and is likely to expand to other areas depending on industry needs,” he said.
Beyond engineering talent, Danish companies are also eyeing opportunities in India’s energy transition under the Green Strategic Partnership between the two countries. Gade said there was strong interest in Danish hydrogen-production technologies and efforts were under way to bring these to India, potentially leveraging a proposed free trade agreement with Europe.
India is competing with markets such as China and the US for Danish investment, Gade said, adding that while India could be a challenging market, it offered compelling long-term partnership opportunities.
Lars Sandahl Sørensen, chief executive of the Confederation of Danish Industry, said Danish businesses had been present in India for over a century, with the fastest recent growth concentrated in Chennai and Tamil Nadu.
“Chennai and Tamil Nadu are something special,” Sørensen said. “This region stands out for its vibrancy in development, skills and labour, as well as the current DMK government’s focus on attracting investment.”
Sorensen said discussions with Industries Minister T R B Rajaa had focused on expanding Danish investments in the state. “The government is ambitious and keen to create the best possible conditions for business,” he said.
On the offshore wind project that failed to take off in Rameswaram, Gade said the company was reassessing its financial model. Offshore wind projects are significantly more expensive than onshore alternatives and rely on a different supply chain, he said, adding that developers were reluctant to bid without mechanisms such as government-backed viability gap funding.
Danish Industry plans to deploy Tamil Nadu engineers to Denmark under a joint pilot with the state government, even as Danish companies expand research and development and scale up their Chennai presence to address skills shortages and support long-term investment.
Under the pilot project, being undertaken jointly with the Tamil Nadu government, the state will identify candidates while Danish Industry will screen 50 mechanical engineering graduates for placement in Denmark, said Jesper Bollerup Gade, managing director of Danish Industry India.
Speaking after the inauguration of the Confederation of Danish Industry’s new office and workspace in Pallavaram, Chennai, Gade said the programme marked a shift in how Danish companies viewed India’s engineering talent.
“When Danish Industry first came to India in 2022, the idea was to scout for relatively cheaper manpower to do jobs Danish engineers found less attractive. That has changed,” he said. “Engineers in Chennai are so good that, in many cases, they are actually better than Danish engineers.”
The growing confidence in Indian talent has prompted Danish companies to move more innovation-led work, including research and development, to India, particularly Tamil Nadu. Gade said the Technical University of Denmark already has a collaboration with IIT Madras, with discussions under way with other technical institutions in Chennai.
Reflecting the deepening engagement, Gade said Danish Industry had started operations in Chennai in 2022 with a 10-seater office in Guindy, but within four years had expanded to a 140-seater facility, underscoring the importance Denmark places on Chennai as a strategic base in India.
Engineers recruited under the programme would be paid on par with their Danish counterparts and supported through what Gade described as an ethical recruitment process, with emphasis on individual welfare and cultural integration.
“This is a pilot project, but it will continue and is likely to expand to other areas depending on industry needs,” he said.
Beyond engineering talent, Danish companies are also eyeing opportunities in India’s energy transition under the Green Strategic Partnership between the two countries. Gade said there was strong interest in Danish hydrogen-production technologies and efforts were under way to bring these to India, potentially leveraging a proposed free trade agreement with Europe.
India is competing with markets such as China and the US for Danish investment, Gade said, adding that while India could be a challenging market, it offered compelling long-term partnership opportunities.
Lars Sandahl Sørensen, chief executive of the Confederation of Danish Industry, said Danish businesses had been present in India for over a century, with the fastest recent growth concentrated in Chennai and Tamil Nadu.
“Chennai and Tamil Nadu are something special,” Sørensen said. “This region stands out for its vibrancy in development, skills and labour, as well as the current DMK government’s focus on attracting investment.”
Sorensen said discussions with Industries Minister T R B Rajaa had focused on expanding Danish investments in the state. “The government is ambitious and keen to create the best possible conditions for business,” he said.
On the offshore wind project that failed to take off in Rameswaram, Gade said the company was reassessing its financial model. Offshore wind projects are significantly more expensive than onshore alternatives and rely on a different supply chain, he said, adding that developers were reluctant to bid without mechanisms such as government-backed viability gap funding.
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
writingonblog uncensored: Tamil Nadu realtors back infra thrust in Budget, f...
writingonblog uncensored: Tamil Nadu realtors back infra thrust in Budget, f...: Chennai: Tamil Nadu stands to gain from the Union Budget 2026–27’s continued emphasis on infrastructure-led growth, with sustained public i...
Tamil Nadu realtors back infra thrust in Budget, flag affordable housing gap
Chennai:
Tamil Nadu stands to gain from the Union Budget 2026–27’s continued emphasis on infrastructure-led growth, with sustained public investment expected to strengthen urban connectivity and open up new real estate growth corridors across the state, according to CREDAI Tamil Nadu.
The budget’s focus on highways, metro rail, logistics corridors and urban infrastructure could support planned development in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and a clutch of emerging cities, helping align real estate expansion with long-term economic capacity, said Habib WS, president of CREDAI Tamil Nadu.
Developers also welcomed measures aimed at improving ease of doing business, including faster approvals, streamlined regulatory processes and wider use of digital systems. These steps could reduce project delays and holding costs, improving delivery timelines and offering greater certainty to homebuyers.
However, the industry body flagged concerns over the absence of targeted support for affordable housing. Rising land and construction costs, combined with what it described as an outdated definition of affordability, are pushing the segment to the margins. Industry estimates suggest affordable housing’s share of total residential supply could decline from around 18 per cent to nearly 12 per cent.
Affordable housing, CREDAI argued, is core urban infrastructure rather than a welfare measure, warning that constrained supply would drive up rents, lengthen commutes and fuel informal housing. A review of definitions and incentives, it said, is essential to keep urban growth inclusive and sustainable.
India’s leather exports to EU could hit $6 billion by 2030 on zero-duty access
C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
India’s
leather and footwear industry is pinning its next phase of export
growth on the proposed India–EU free trade agreement, with industry
leaders estimating exports to the bloc could rise to $6 billion by 2030
if zero-duty access is secured.
M Abdul Wahab, Regional Chairman
(South), told The New Indian Express that the European Union currently
accounts for about 43% of India’s leather exports, valued at around $2.4
billion. Export duties imposed by the EU range from 5% to 17%. “If
these tariffs are reduced to zero under the FTA, exports to the EU could
increase to $6 billion,” Wahab said.
However, this all depends on the ratification by EU states which is expected by the end of this year or by next year, he added.
Meanwhile,
The Council for Leather Exports (CLE) has welcomed the Union Budget
2026–27 announcement extending the Import of Goods at Concessional Rate
of Duty (IGCR) scheme to shoe uppers exporters, providing basic customs
duty exemption for notified critical inputs.
The scheme, which
already covers exporters of leather garments, footwear and leather
products, has now been expanded to include shoe uppers exporters. CLE
said the move would significantly benefit exporters of this value-added
segment and help boost exports, which stood at $222 million in 2024–25.
The
exporters’ body also welcomed the extension of the permissible export
period under the IGCR scheme from six months to one year from the date
of import of inputs, as notified under customs notification.
In
addition, CLE thanked the government for extending the IGCR scheme’s
validity till March 31, 2028, from the earlier deadline of March 31,
2026.
The council also described as positive the extension of
basic customs duty exemption on imports of tags, labels, stickers, belts
and similar items by bona fide exporters until March 31, 2028.
The
allocation under RoDTEP scheme (Remission of Duties and Taxes on
Exported Products), a government initiative to refund embedded central,
state, and local taxes/levies on exported goods to boost
competitiveness, has been reduced from Rs 18233 Cr in 2025-26 to Rs
10000 Cr in 2926-27, which has raised concern amongst the exporters.
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