CHENNAI: The Rs 10,000-crore Chennai-Salem greenfield highway project will stimulate growth like the Mumbai-Pune and Delhi-Agra expressway projects and will reduce the cost of transport, especially for the manufacturing industries spread across the central region of the State in moving their goods to various destinations including major ports, according to M Ponnuswami, Chairman, CII Tamil Nadu State Council.
The eight-lane project under the Bharatmala Pariyojana initiative will be a game changer in enhancing the economic growth of central districts of Tamil Nadu and this will work towards the creation of a balanced regional development ecosystem with focus on Tier-II cities such as Salem and nearby districts, CII release said.
It would also give a great fillip to the agro-processing industries in the region for faster movement of perishable items to the processing centres, thereby reducing logistics cost and also wastages.
Salem being the major node, not only the greenfield corridor but also the defence industrial corridor initiated by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will have great potential in bringing new investments into Tamil Nadu in the manufacturing sector, the CII statement added.