Investors Promise ₹1L Cr in 100 Days of Vijay Govt

Chennai:The Tamil Nadu government will introduce a 21-day deadline for granting approvals, licences and no-objection certificates for industrial projects with applications to be treated as deemed approved if the prescribed clearances are not issued within the stipulated period, industries minister S. Keerthana said on Thursday.

Speaking at the Vetri Tamil Nadu Investment Conclave 2026, Keerthana said the government was also establishing a Tamil Nadu Investor Promotion Commission under the chief secretary to fast-track major projects involving investments of Rs. 200 crore or more or employment of at least 5,000 people.

“We are not simply asking investors to trust us. We are putting a clock on ourselves,” she said, outlining a series of measures aimed at making Tamil Nadu’s investment environment faster and more predictable. The government would also strengthen the Tamil Nadu single window portal and move towards a seamless digital approval system, she said.

Keerthana stated that the state had attracted investment commitments of more than Rs. 1 lakh crore in the first 100 days of the government.

Fresh MoUs for 97 projects, involving Rs. 67,542 crore, were signed at the conclave with the projects expected to create employment opportunities for more than 1 lakh people. With these commitments, cumulative investments attracted during the first 100 days would cross Rs. 1 lakh crore and generate more than 1.2 lakh job opportunities, she said.

She described the investment flow as a “vote of confidence” in Tamil Nadu and said the responsibility of the government was to ensure that investors’ capital moved “quickly, productively and predictably”.

The minister also highlighted the mix of greenfield and brownfield investments.

According to her, greenfield projects showed that new investors were choosing Tamil Nadu, while brownfield expansions demonstrated that companies already operating in the state were willing to invest further after experiencing its workforce, infrastructure and business environment.

Keerthana said Tamil Nadu was seeking to move beyond its established industrial strengths and attract sectors that would define the next decade, including advanced manufacturing, electronics, semiconductors, life sciences, renewable energy, aerospace, R&D and global capability centres.

The state’s objective was not merely to expand the economy but to “significantly upgrade it”, she said.

The strategy assumes significance against the backdrop of Tamil Nadu’s target of building a USD 1.5 trillion economy by 2036.

Keerthana said the target should not be viewed merely as a large economic number as its impact would ultimately be reflected in jobs, entrepreneurship, women’s economic independence and greater opportunities for people across districts.

The minister also pointed to areas where Tamil Nadu still had considerable ground to cover. “If we cannot acknowledge where we are behind, we cannot close the gap,” she said.

The government was, therefore, seeking greater participation from industry in shaping its new industrial policy, she said, urging investors to identify their difficulties and suggest changes required in government policies.

“Bring us your hardest problems. Tell us where you need our support. Tell us where our policies can improve,” she told industry representatives.

Keerthana said the state’s investment strategy would seek to balance the interests of investors with those of workers.

She said the government wanted to create an environment where an entrepreneur could come to Tamil Nadu, invest, build, hire, innovate and expand with minimal friction.