Tamil Nadu drafting new industrial policy with sustainability focus

Tamil Nadu's Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department is drafting a new industrial policy designed to move the state's manufacturing base up the value chain. According to officials, the policy will complement existing strengths in electronics, automobiles and electric vehicles by promoting sunrise sectors, research and development, and export-led growth.

Sustainability and circular-economy practices will be 'core' components of the policy, though carbon-reduction targets and timelines have not been finalised. The state is targeting a $1.5 trillion economy by 2036, with a roadmap built around one-, three-, five- and 10-year milestones rather than a straight-line growth projection.

Officials declined to directly compare the new policy with the 2021 industrial policy, saying the new policy is being 'built with people at its centre' and focusing on sustainably increasing the state's per capita income.