Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu

Feb 21, 2023

Tamil Nadu to create more space for the IT sector The Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (ELCOT) will soon make available over 6.15 lakh square feet of space across the State. Of this, over 2 lakh square feet will be in Chennai and the rest will be in Tier II and Tier III cities, T. Mano Thangaraj, Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, said on Tuesday. “The aim is to ensure that we develop other cities and towns across Tamil Nadu. We will create infrastructure where there is demand,” he said at a session to highlight the salient features of Umagine Chennai 2023 for industry associations and stakeholders. The session was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with ELCOT. To a question on the status of ELCOT SEZs, Mr. Thangaraj said space was vacant at a few places, but the demand was picking up. He said start-ups were keen on picking up space at these SEZs. The Minister said talks were under way to come out with a centre of excellence for drones. “Discussions are under way, and we are trying to work this out in a public-private partnership model.” Commenting on Umagine Chennai 2023 scheduled for March 23-25, Mr. Thangaraj said, “We are also reaching out to the Tamil diaspora across the globe to participate in large numbers in the event as they are major contributors to the IT industry.” J. Kumaragurubaran, Secretary, Information Technology and Digital Services Department, said Umagine Chennai 2023 would be an annual event. A large delegation was expected from the U.S. “We are creating an environment for the academia, industry experts, corporates, and start-ups to come together and discuss the way forward for the IT industry as a whole,” he said. In a presentation, ELCOT Executive Director S. Arunraj said the three-day event would focus on green mobility, future of digital, agrinext, climate change and sustainability, healthcare, life sciences and new frontiers. “With Umagine Chennai 2023 comprising over 150 exhibitors, 250-plus speakers, 130-plus sessions, we are desirous of contributing at least 10% towards making Tamil Nadu a $1-trillion economy by 2030 and making Tamil Nadu the most preferred technology destination.”