Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday said Tamil Nadu would like to contribute 25% of India’s defence needs in terms of products and services.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Defe Epo at Thiruvidanthai near here, Mr. Palaniswami said: “We shall support our defence forces by providing them capabilities to effectively protect our border.”
Listing the initiatives taken by his government to boost the industrial profile of the State, Mr. Palaniswami cited the recently enacted Business Facilitation Act that was aimed at ensuring timely clearances and the drafting of the Aerospace and Defence Policy.
Mr. Palaniswami thanked the Prime Minister for the announcement of the Defence Corridor project in Tamil Nadu in the last Union Budget.
“The Tamil Nadu government will provide its wholehearted support to the project and will provide proper road connectivity and full power supply besides meeting other infrastructure requirements,” he added.
Request for HAL facility
He requested the Prime Minister to consider establishing a HAL facility for manufacturing light combat aircraft and helicopters in Salem and an MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility at the Coimbatore airbase. Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, in his speech, observed that the Central and State governments were “working in tandem” to make the defence corridor project a reality. Tamil Nadu was well placed for the development of the defence manufacturing corridor with the necessary physical infrastructure and high-quality human resources, he pointed out.
A number of initiatives have been launched by the State government to enhance the ease of doing business, he noted, and further added that the State government would launch an online single window planning permission for all types of applicants in the State, within the next two months.
Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre, Deputy Lok Sabha Speaker M. Thambi Durai, Union Minister of State for Finance Pon. Radhakrishnan, chiefs of all three Armed forces, and Ministers of the State Cabinet were present.
