The Tamil Nadu government in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, hosted a public-private discussion for establishing the ‘India Centre for Advanced Manufacturing’ in Chennai. Proposed as an initiative to foster national and international collaboration in advanced technologies, the India Centre for Advanced Manufacturing aims to support companies in their innovation, sustainability, and R&D endeavours. Drawing on the global expertise of the World Economic Forum and the insights of Guidance Tamil Nadu into local priorities, the State government intends to set up the centre in Chennai.
The discussion highlighted three key focus areas for the Centre — technology adoption and innovation, industry-academia engagement, and sustainable production. Participants from various sectors, including electronics, automobile, and general manufacturing, actively engaged in the dialogue alongside representatives from government bodies such as the MSME Department, TIDCO, and TNSDC.
T.R.B. Rajaa, Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion, and Commerce, expressed the government’s commitment to establishing the India Centre for Advanced Manufacturing in partnership with the World Economic Forum. He emphasised Tamil Nadu’s pioneering role in leading India’s economic growth and positioning itself as a forerunner in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The centre’s three-fold objectives were also outlined by the Minister, which include: Supporting high-end innovation, new business models, and digital transformation for manufacturing companies, including SMEs; promoting industry-academia collaboration to drive innovation, workforce upskilling, and research and development. And facilitating system-wide collaborations to support supply chain decarbonization and circularity.
In the past, Tamil Nadu had already established three Centers of Excellence in collaboration with Siemens, G.E., and Dassault Systemes, providing vital support to start-ups and MSMEs to enhance their competitiveness in both local and global markets. Additionally, Industrial Innovation Centres (IICs) have been set up at SIPCOT Parks in Sriperumbudur and Hosur to foster industrial innovation and accelerate technology adoption. To further enhance the State’s capabilities and attract critical industries like semiconductor, green hydrogen, and solar PV module manufacturers, the Government is actively considering setting up knowledge parks in major cities in partnership with international research institutes.
