CHENNAI: The state is in the process of drafting a Deep Tech Policy, a first-of-its-kind in the country, to help realise Chief Minister MK Stalin’s vision of making the state a trillion-dollar economy, said Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services (IT&DS) Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR). He made this announcement at the iTNT Industry Conclave held on Friday here. He also emphasised the role of corporates in fostering innovation in the emerging and deep tech space.
“Innovate in Tamil Nadu (IN2TN) is our new mantra. It is more than just a slogan; it is a strategic call for action,” Thiaga Rajan said, and highlighted the importance of corporate engagement in shaping the future of innovation in the state. He also urged companies to deepen their collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Technology Hub (iTNT Hub) through strategic partnerships and CSR contributions.
At the event, the minister also presented cash prizes totalling Rs 4.5 lakh to the top three winners of the iTNT ‘Unlock The Future Innovation Challenge’.
According to the authorities, the competition attracted over 500 teams of startups, innovators, and aspirants from across the state’s emerging and deep tech sectors. The entries were evaluated by a panel of industry experts, with the top 10 teams pitching their solutions to an expert jury after undergoing several rounds of training.
Healthcare startup Vyuhaa Med Data secured the top prize for its AI and IoT solutions for real-time data analysis and decision making. Sustainability startup Daijo was recognised for its solution to reduce resource consumption, while Climate Tech startup Climatequant Tech won for its work on supply chain transparency and efficiency.
“We have laid out a strategy to transform these winning solutions into full-fledged deep tech enterprises,” said Additional Chief Secretary of IT&DS Kumar Jayant.
Earlier in the day, a curtain-raiser roundtable on the upcoming Tamil Nadu Deep Tech Policy was chaired by Jayant and co-chaired by Vanitha Venugopal, CEO of iTNT Hub. Industry leaders and subject experts from various deep tech sectors participated in the discussion, which built on the announcement made by Thiaga Rajan during the Demand for Grants session in the state Assembly in June.