The Government of Tamil Nadu is committed to securing US$ 6 billion in investments and creating 1.5 lakh new employment opportunities within the EV sector over the next five years, Dr. T.R.B. Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion, and Commerce, Tamil Nadu stated at a closed round table discussion on EVs held in the state.
In his keynote address at the closed-door discussion in partnership with the World Economic Forum “Tamil Nadu: Making of the Next Global EV Manufacturing Hub”, Dr. T.R.B. Rajaa mentioned that the Government had launched the revised “Tamil Nadu Electric Vehicles Policy 2023”, and Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Salem, and Tirunelveli had been earmarked as EV hubs to bolster the state’s growth towards electric vehicles.
Over the past five years, Tamil Nadu has emerged as India’s leading EV manufacturing destination, earning the moniker’ EV Capital of India’. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the State secured nearly Rs 24,000 crore in EV investments, leading to almost 48,000 jobs, the press release noted.
Hyundai, Nissan, TVS Motors, Mahindra, and Daimler. Additionally, EV-first companies like Ather, Ola Electric, Ampere, and Simple Energy have chosen to base their EV manufacturing facilities in Tamil Nadu, underscoring the importance of the state as one that promotes the cause of EVs.
The roundtable discussion centred on the pivotal role Tamil Nadu aims to play in the global electric vehicle manufacturing landscape. Key points of discussion included strategies to expand opportunities for MSMEs and entrepreneurs within the EV sector, net zero manufacturing in the EV sector among other points.
Participants at the roundtable were:
- Dr. T.R.B. Rajaa – Hon’ble Minister of Industries, Investment Promotion, and Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu
- S. Krishnan IAS – Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Industries, Investment Promotion, and Commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu
- P. Amudha IAS – Principal Secretary, Home (Transport) Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu
- E. Sundaravalli IAS – MD, State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT)
- Vishnu Venugopalan IAS – MD and CEO, Guidance
- Grace Lalrindiki Pachuau IAS – Executive Director, FaMe TN
- J. Innocent Divya IAS – MD, Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC)
- Sivarajah Ramanathan – CEO, Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission
- Jasmeet Khurana – Lead, Moving Emerging Market, World Economic Forum
- Pramoda Gode – Lead, Moving India, World Economic Forum
Post the session, Gopalakrishnan CS, Chief Manufacturing Officer, Hyundai Motor India said, “We believe that the upcoming action plans will drive quicker adoption of EVs while balancing measures on the supply and demand sides and charging infrastructure in the State.”
Dinesh Arjun, Co-founder and CEO of EV firm Raptee said, “Tamil Nadu has already made its mark as a leader in the automobile space and I’m delighted to see that the state doesn’t want to rest on it’s laurels and ensure that they retain the top spot in the country moving forward as well. “ He further added that this initiative was a major step to establish and strengthen Tamil Nadu’s leadership position in the EV space as well. The commitment from the government and industry leaders give immense confidence that we (Raptee) are poised to benefit a lot from investing in the state.”