CHENNAI: At the Vettri Tamil Nadu Investment Conclave on Thursday, the southern districts of Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli have emerged as the second- and third-largest investment destinations in Tamil Nadu respectively, together attracting Rs 28,337 crore across 11 projects that are expected to generate 9,420 jobs. The two southern districts trailed Kancheepuram, which attracted Rs 31,004 crore across 20 projects, with the investments expected to create 18,070 jobs.
Thoothukudi accounted for 10 of the 11 projects, underlining the port city’s growing appeal for industries ranging from data centres and aerospace to advanced manufacturing. Tirunelveli secured one major project.
Among the prominent investments in Thoothukudi is a Rs 10,000 crore commitment by Lighthouse Green Datacentre Pvt Ltd, an Indian private company incorporated in February 2026, to establish a hybrid hyperscale data centre with artificial intelligence capabilities. The commitment has drawn scrutiny over the company’s thin corporate footprint.
Incorporated only in February 2026, it has a low share capital, prompting questions over how a six-month-old entity intends to finance a Rs 10,000-crore project. Official sources said due diligence had been completed, the company holds its own land in Thoothukudi and it has secured letters of intent from multiple financing parties, though specific incentives will only be finalised at a later stage. The project is expected to create 400 jobs and marks one of the first large-scale investments of its kind in the region.
Eurotech Pivot Solutions Pvt Ltd will invest Rs 150 crore to manufacture hovercraft, creating 300 jobs. The project is expected to make Thoothukudi one of the few locations in India with dedicated hovercraft manufacturing facility.
The city is also attracting private space-sector investments. Skyroot Aerospace Pvt Ltd will invest Rs 250 crore in facilities for the storage, assembly, integration and testing of launch vehicles, generating around 500 jobs.
The project strengthens Thoothukudi’s position in the emerging private space ecosystem.
Agnikul Cosmos Pvt Ltd has committed Rs 400 crore for the assembly and integration of reusable liquid-propelled launch vehicles, with the project expected to generate 1,500 jobs. The investment is aimed at developing manufacturing and integration capabilities for reusable launch vehicles.
Other projects include Fuso Glass India Pvt Ltd’s Rs 150 crore investment in solar glass fibre manufacturing and Vajra Heavy Engineering Pvt Ltd’s Rs 500 crore container manufacturing project, which is expected to create 800 jobs and support the port-led industrial ecosystem as well as the upcoming shipbuilding cluster.
The Rs 15,037 crore investment for Tirunelveli appears to refer to the MoU signed by the government in July with solar energy solutions provider Vikram Solar for a battery energy storage systems (BESS) manufacturing plant at the SIPCOT industrial park in Gangaikondan. The project is expected to generate 2,670 jobs.
The concentration of investments in Thoothukudi, particularly in data centres, aerospace, containers, and other advanced manufacturing activities, points to a broader shift in Tamil Nadu’s investment geography beyond its established industrial belt around Chennai and Kancheepuram.