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.
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