COIMBATORE: The number of startups in Tamil Nadu has increased to 12,171 in the last four-and-a-half years of the DMK regime, said Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises TM Anbarasan here on Thursday.
Out of this 6,063 are owned by women entrepreneurs, he stated while addressing the media in Coimbatore city ahead of the Tamil Nadu Global Startup Summit 2025 which is scheduled to be held at CODISSIA on October 9 and 10.
"Tamil Nadu was in the last position in the startup ranking during the AIADMK regime with only 2,032 getting registered till 2021. Now the DMK has improved it to the first position and the state was the best performer last year. Other states will definitely be surprised about the Tamil Nadu Global Startup Summit 2025 (TNGSS) in Coimbatore," the Minister said.
"There are 1,600 startups in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Nilgiris, and Erode districts, and 1,000 more will be launched before this financial year ends," added the minister, who was in the city to oversee the preparations for the TNGSS.
"As many as 30,000 entrepreneurs from 39 countries will be taking part in the Global Startup Summit. In all 750 stalls will be set up. Ten departments from the central government along with 15 departments of the Tamil Nadu government will be taking part. We are also conducting 315 different events for two days," the Minister said.
Reacting to a query on lack of reduction in the peak hour electricity tariff hike despite industrialists demanding the Tamil Nadu government to reduce the charges, the Minister claimed the state government is paying Rs 250 crore to the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) on behalf of MSMEs to reduce their burden.
"Except for the Annal Ambedkar scheme, there were no delays in providing subsidies to entrepreneurs under other schemes. The delay in the Annal Ambedkar scheme is due to the large number of applications received," he said.
Suggesting a favourable business climate prevails in the state Anbarasan said "the previous government had created only 52,000 entrepreneurs, but within four years, the present DMK government created 66,000 entrepreneurs".
We convened a meeting with bankers and advised them to release loans to the entrepreneurs at the earliest, the Minister disclosed.
On the revised GST rates, the minister said "he has to study whether it is advantageous or not to the MSMEs".