CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday inaugurated the three-day international conference on the aerospace and defence sector, AeroDefCon 2025, organised by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), the Aerospace Industry Development Association of Tamil Nadu (AIDAT), and France’s BCI Aerospace, with support from the Ministry of Defence.
Inaugurating the event, M.K. Stalin said that the state has set a target of attracting investments to the tune of Rs. 75,000 crore by 2032.
The event, being held at the Chennai Trade Centre till October 9, will serve as a key platform to connect international companies in the sector with Tamil Nadu’s rapidly growing aerospace and defence industrial ecosystem.
More than 300 companies and 1,000 delegates have signed up for over 5,000 pre-scheduled business-to-business meetings. At least 19 countries are sending trade missions.
Stalin said the Tamil Nadu government would always stand by Armed forces personnel, scientists, industrial entrepreneurs and investors. He said the State is prepared and investors can make investments without delay.
Listing out the steps being undertaken by the Tamil Nadu government, Stalin said that the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor has become a turning point for this sector. “I wish for Tamil Nadu to become a centre for manufacturing in this sector. The Defence Industrial Corridor is set to play a key role in the future,” he said.
The Defence Industrial Corridor project being implemented in Tamil Nadu is expected to foster international collaborations, investments, and employment opportunities. Since its launch, the project has attracted investments worth over Rs 23,000 crore, of which projects worth Rs 5,000 crore have already been implemented.
On September 19, the Tamil Nadu government signed agreements for two ultra-mega shipbuilding projects worth Rs 30,000 crore, marking a major step towards establishing the state as a global shipbuilding hub. The investments were formalised through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed at the Transforming Maritime Sector event in Thoothukudi.
The projects are expected to generate employment for more than 55,000 people. Cochin Shipyard will invest Rs 15,000 crore to set up a world-class commercial shipyard. In its first phase, the project will create 10,000 job opportunities, including 4,000 direct and 6,000 indirect roles.
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders will establish another shipyard with an equal investment of Rs 15,000 crore. This project will generate employment for over 45,000 people, including 5,000 directly and 40,000 indirectly.
Both projects align with the state’s Maritime Transport Manufacturing Policy 2025. They also build on the recent agreement between the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) and V.O.C. Port to form a special purpose vehicle dedicated to shipbuilding.
Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa said organising an event of this scale reflected how Tamil Nadu was serious about aerospace, defence and strategic industries. About 3,000 delegates from 18 countries were to take part in over 5,500 B2B meetings, he said.
DRDO Director-General (Electronics and Communication Systems) B.K. Das thanked Tamil Nadu for being a strong pillar of defence in the country. “Standing here on behalf of the DRDO, I can assure and promise you that we stand by you. Together we synergise and can make the country great,” he said.
Director-General of Indian Coast Guard Paramesh Sivamani said Tamil Nadu has rapidly emerged as a national leader in aerospace and defence and also in space. “The CM’s statement that every dot on Tamil Nadu map is investment-ready, is more than aspirational. It is being realised on the ground.”
Stéphane-Pierre Castet, CEO, BCI Aerospace, said they had organised such meetings of aerospace and defence players in Italy, Brazil, Poland, Czech Republic and with AeroDefCon, Chennai was hosting such a meeting for the first time. “Our mission is to help small and medium sized companies to identify new partners.”
Minister T.M. Anbarasan, Sriperumbudur MP T.R. Baalu, Rear Admiral Satish Shenai, Flag Officer Commanding, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval area, M.C. Balasubramaniam, Chairman and Managing Director, Gliders India Limited, former DRDO chairman S. Christopher, Air Commodore Tapan Sharma, Tambaram Air Force Station, Secretary of Industries Department V. Arun Roy, TIDCO Managing Director Sandeep Nanduri took part in the inaugural session.
