Each city in T.N. has to feed millions in the future, needs sustainable strategies, says Finance Secretary
Every city in Tamil Nadu will have to feed millions in the future, and each city, with its unique profile, needs to reinvent itself and sustain growth, Finance Secretary T. Udhayachandran said on Thursday.
“People from rural areas are seeking jobs in cities. Urban housing is a major challenge not only for Tamil Nadu but also for other States, and it needs to be addressed,” he said, speaking as the chief guest at the Conference on Tamil Nadu The State of the Fu
ture, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Tamil Nadu.
“We are very conscious that the State’s economy is not a onesector economy.
The State has a blend of the manufacturing and IT sectors and a large number of micro, small and medium enterprises, besides startups,” he said.
Mr. Udhayachandran said that Erode was doing really well with its export link, while Tiruppur, the textile hub, had slowed down owing to a crisis in Europe. The heavy engineering industry in Tiruchi was also down. Likewise, Salem, Namakkal, Tiruchengode, Virudhunagar, and Rajapalayam had unique profiles, he said.
Talent pool
“We need a large talent pool with a focus on skilling, reskilling, and upskilling the workforce,” he said.
Mr. Udhayachandran said that after the government signed a memorandum of understanding with Tata Motors for an investment of ₹9,000 crore, one more major investment had been lined up. However, he did not disclose details.
“It is very important that we start nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship if Tamil Nadu is to achieve the target of becoming a $1trillion economy by 2030,” V. Kamakoti, Director, IITMadras, said in his keynote address.
Mr. Udhayachandran released the Tamil Nadu@100 Vision Document. Tamil Nadu’s target under Vision 2047 is to achieve a $4.21trillion economy.