TIRUCHY: With no major Tiruchy and Central Tamil Nadu-specific industrial announcements in the 2026-27 TN Budget, industry associations expressed disappointment over the omission of the region’s long-pending infrastructure demands alongside expressing hope that the government would address them in future budgets.
Mukkil P Rajappa, president of the Tiruchirappalli District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (TIDITSSIA), said that while the budget referred to the development of a dry port, it did not specifically identify Tiruchy despite the city’s long-standing demand and strategic advantage.
“We have been consistently urging both the state and union governments to establish a dry port in Tiruchy. While the budget mentions a dry port, there is no clarity on its location.
Similarly, there is no announcement on the long-pending multimodal logistics park. From an industry’s perspective, we had also expected some relief in electricity tariffs. The government has announced several welfare measures, but we expected stronger initiatives aimed at industrial growth,” he said.
V B Jeganathan, executive member of Trichy Intra-City Development Endeavours (TIDES), said, “At the very least, we expected a mention of the proposed Chennai-Tiruchy Expressway, which CM C Joseph Vijay had personally taken up with PM Narendra Modi. There is also no announcement on the Outer Ring Road, dry port or other major infrastructure projects. Even though the budget was not city-specific, we expected Tiruchy to receive greater attention, especially since the CM contested from Tiruchy East,” he said.
Offering a more optimistic view, M Natarajan, chairman of the Tiruchirappalli Industrial Micro Entrepreneurs Association (TIMEA), said the budget presented significant opportunities for MSMEs in the district. “The budget focuses on sectors like artificial intelligence, industrial policy, logistics, deep-tech, exports and innovation which can benefit micro and small enterprises in Tiruchy by creating new avenues for growth and competitiveness,” he said.
Industry representatives also said they were looking forward to the government fulfilling the promises made in the TVK election manifesto, including the establishment of an aerospace and heavy engineering cluster in Tiruchy, and other demands like expansion of SIPCOT industrial estates, development of a multimodal logistics park, and revival of the BHEL ancillary ecosystem.
Dr M A Aleem, a senior neurologist in Tiruchy said, “The budget has given priority to healthcare and social welfare. Continuing the 69% reservation policy, retaining Plus Two-based MBBS admissions, expanding mobile clinics, cancer care, enhanced insurance for rare diseases, maternal health incentives and anti-drug initiatives are welcome measures. The focus on Quaid-e-Millat’s legacy and promoting Thirukkural among schoolchildren also reflects a balanced commitment to education and Tamil culture.”
Meanwhile, activist H Ghouse Baig criticised the budget, saying it largely focused on rebranding existing welfare schemes while omitting key election promises like Rs 2,500 monthly assistance for women and six free LPG cylinders annually. He also expressed disappointment over the absence of Tiruchy-specific announcements despite the CM having contested from Tiruchy East, and urged the government to ensure the constituency gets representation following the vacancy.