CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu govt has proposed to set up nine industrial estates exclusively for women entrepreneurs in eight districts, as part of a wider push to promote micro, small and medium enterprises and generate employment.MSME minister P Mathan Raja announced in the assembly on Tuesday that the estates would be developed through the Small Industries Development Corporation (SIDCO) at a cost of Rs 237 crore. The locations include Madhavaram in Chennai, Thiruvathavur in Madurai district, Suriyur and Manapparai in Trichy, Periyaseeragapatti in Salem, Minnur in Tirupattur, Sangaraperi in Tuticorin, Narasinganallur in Tirunelveli and Palayapatti in Thanjavur districts. The govt expects the estates to generate employment for around 5,100 people.Tamil Nadu has five exclusive industrial parks for women in Salem, Trichy, Madurai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts.Mathan Raja also announced five new industrial estates on 234 acres of land in Chennai and adjoining districts at a cost of Rs 171 crore. The estates will come up at Naidukuppam, Thervaikandigai and Kannankottai in Tiruvallur district, and Erumayur and Varadharajapuram in Kancheepuram district. The govt estimates that the projects will create around 10,900 jobs.The state also plans to establish a funding agency for startups to encourage entrepreneurship in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, deep technology and financial technology.Among other proposals, a pharmaceutical park will be set up at Shoolagiri in Krishnagiri district, while a park focused on medical equipment manufacturing will come up at Suriyur in Trichy district.The govt also announced an industrial park for micro, small and medium enterprises involved in coconut-based industries at Pollachi, at a cost of Rs 11.5 crore.In an effort to promote industrialisation in economically backward regions, the govt said new industrial estates would be established in Villupuram.Under the micro-cluster development programme, four common facility centres will be established at a total cost of Rs 32 crore. They will serve the Dindigul lock cluster, Athangudi tiles cluster in Sivaganga, the coir products cluster at Thulukkampalayam in Erode and the coconut-based food products cluster at Anaimalai in Coimbatore district, the minister said.
