COIMBATORE: The state government is conducting a detailed assessment to attract companies sector-wise and district-wise, rather than randomly establishing industries, Industries Minister S Keerthana said here on Friday.
After attending the Special Interactive Breakfast Meeting, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Coimbatore Zone, under the aegis of Coimbatore NEXT, Keerthana told reporters that she had assured industrialists that the government would provide a corruption-free and transparent administration and fulfill their expectations.
"If we sign MoUs with companies randomly, they will not yield results. Instead, we are carrying out detailed assessments and analyses to attract investments. Our approach is to attract companies based on sectors and districts wise, taking into account the skills," she said.
"At present, the key expectation of industrialists in Coimbatore is the expansion of the airport. The work is in progress, and it will be completed this time," she stated.
Further, she said the government is working to equip youth with the skills required for high-paying jobs through collaboration between industries and higher educational institutions.
"In the last 40 days, we approached three major companies to attract investment to Tamil Nadu. Apart from these efforts, we are working to attract additional companies. Under the previous administration, MoUs were signed with 60% of the companies, but 25% of those did not proceed to on-ground implementation. Unlike that approach, our aim is to achieve 100% ground-breaking here rather than signing agreements that remain only on paper. As a result, youth will not need to travel to Hyderabad or Bangalore for jobs; they can find employment in cities such as Chennai, Coimbatore or Madurai. All necessary steps have been towards this goal," she said.
During the meeting, she said Tamil Nadu is investing in the future by strengthening capabilities in electric mobility, advanced electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy, artificial intelligence, deep technology and advanced manufacturing to remain globally competitive.
She said that by working together, the southern states can build integrated supply chains, improve logistics connectivity, strengthen skill development, promote innovation, and attract greater domestic and global investments into Southern India as a whole.
The minister also interacted with the industrialists from the southern states.
District Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar, CII Southern Region Chairman Ravichandran Purushothaman, CII Tamil Nadu C Devarajan and others were present.