Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin Showcases Real-Time Investment Dashboard
In a significant move to bolster investor confidence, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday emphasized the state government's proactive measures to enhance the ease of doing business. Speaking at the Conversion Conclave, an event presenting a report card of investments since the government assumed power in 2021, Stalin revealed that he personally monitors all industrial investment commitments through a real-time dashboard. He attributed this system as the key reason for the state's ability to materialize agreements swiftly.
Fast-Tracking Industrial Projects
Stalin explained, "Everyone is wondering how Tamil Nadu is materializing these commitments. The answer is fast and single-window clearance." Addressing criticism from opposition parties, the government reported that it has successfully materialized 73.53% of the 1,179 projects committed since 2021, with 35.11% of these projects now operational. During the conclave, the chief minister signed two new agreements worth 5,000 crore in investment, further solidifying the state's commitment to economic growth.
Dashboard-Driven Governance
Elaborating on the government's working style, Stalin stated, "After a memorandum of understanding is signed, we enter them in our dashboard, which I myself track, with various data, including the location, required land parcels, departmental approvals needed, and whether they are approved on the promised dates." He emphasized that the dashboard remains active until production commences, with immediate interventions for any delays. "We close the dashboard only when they start production. Even if there is a minor delay, we set up a meeting with the chief secretary and urge the department official to approve it on the table," he added.
Stalin noted that he frequently discusses the dashboard with Industries Minister T R B Rajaa, marking this as the first time a state has conducted a conference to showcase such conversion efforts. The chief minister also highlighted infrastructure developments, including:
- Establishment of 30 Sipcot parks
- Creation of over 16,000 acre land banks
- Development of Tidel and Neo Tidel parks across districts
Focus on Emerging Sectors and Job Creation
Stalin pointed to Tamil Nadu's growing role in the global chip ecosystem, with chip design centres and equipment parks in Coimbatore. "With chip design centres and chip equipment parks in Coimbatore, the state is becoming a key hub of the global chip ecosystem. The government is making more efforts to support further growth in the sector," he said.
Industries Minister Rajaa reinforced the government's priorities, stating that job creation and strategic industry location take precedence over mere investment quantum. "We have created 29.63 lakh jobs over the last four years, as per union government data," he revealed. The distribution of projects includes:
- Northern region: 41%
- Southern region: 36%
- Central and western regions: 15%-20%
Rajaa attributed the regional disparities to challenges in land acquisition. Looking ahead, the government plans to focus on sectors such as life sciences, shipbuilding, deeptech, semiconductor, and tourism. He added that MoUs signed during Stalin's foreign trips have a conversion rate of 69.56%, and nearly 83% of commitments from the 2024 global investor meet have been realized. However, the government did not provide a detailed list or breakdown of projects to substantiate these claims.
