Interview/ T.R.B. Rajaa, industries minister, Tamil Nadu
A WEEK AFTER the special intensive revision (SIR) was rolled out in Tamil Nadu, the ruling DMK took to the streets in protest. The moment he walked into his office after the protest, State Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa received a call from Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. “Give me 30 minutes. I will be back to take your questions,” he told THE WEEK, as he rushed into his car. As secretary of the DMK’s IT wing and one of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s key ministers, Rajaa plays a huge role in decision-making in the party and the government. He kept his promise, and sat down with THE WEEK to talk on various issues—from new investments coming into the state to the SIR and the DMK’s prospects in the upcoming assembly elections. Excerpts:
Q/ Tamil Nadu has a target of $1 trillion economy. How does the government plan to achieve that?
A/ The key to achieving a trillion-dollar economy is to ensure that we have distributed growth. A cluster in growth suffocates the output of talent.... We have ticked all the boxes when it comes to manufacturing services. We are now getting into research and development and patents.... In the primary sectors, too, we are pushing for value addition.... While India is growing at 6.6 per cent, we are growing at 11.19 per cent. This is a targeted approach.
Q/ How do you plan to attract global manufacturers shifting out of China, Vietnam and southeast Asia?
A/ Tamil Nadu is the talent capital of India. Everybody who is shifting out of China, which is now known more for quality products than cheap ones, expects top-notch quality. For that, our pitch is research and development. We are not interested in incentive numbers, but in package value.
The major pitch for dravidian model 2.0 is high-end white-collar jobs for all our highly educated youngsters. The next step will be Product Nation Tamil Nadu, where we will make products for the world. We will have a bigger avatar of StartupTN in the near future. That is why you saw VinFast coming to Tamil Nadu. We have tailored talent for the companies coming into India. Their first port of call is Chennai.
Q/ How do you think Tamil Nadu should position itself in the semiconductor sector?
A/ Tamil Nadu should have had its due share in the semiconductor ecosystem. All the semiconductor players that are already in India had come to Tamil Nadu first. But once they went to Delhi for the incentive package, they were taken off from us.
But you can’t take manufacturing or talent out of Tamil Nadu. I am happy for my north Indian sisters and brothers, for Gujarat and other states that are getting this ecosystem. But all those investors know that their output would have been better if they had been in Tamil Nadu.
So, what we are doing now is negating what Delhi has been doing. We are focusing on our strength, which is talent. Now, Germany, Taiwan and Japan have tech, but not talent. The fresh talent comes from Tamil Nadu. The Naan Mudhalvan scheme, launched by our chief minister, has trained individuals. We are asking the Union government to enable better R&D and to not put a diversion board every time a player comes in.
Q/ What is your take on Tamil Nadu’s export-driven sectors, particularly in the wake of the Trump tariffs?
A/ There are sectors that are affected by tariffs and those that have been kept out of it as of now. I am saying as of now because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Right now, I see a big hit for the textile sector. When I was in Delhi with the Union Minister for Industry Piyush Goyal, I shared our concern on the effects of the Trump tariffs on the textile sector.
The chief minister of Tamil Nadu stands shoulder to shoulder with the prime minister of India when it comes to people’s welfare. I trust the Union of India will take a wise and responsible decision when it comes to the tariffs. States like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra must be consulted when such decisions are being taken as we are the biggest stakeholders in manufacturing and exports.
Apart from textiles, the seafood sector is heavily hit. We are making sure that we add more value to seafood processing and the local cold chain network. To balance this, you will see interesting announcements in the near future for the aquaculture industry.
Q/ The defence corridor was launched in 2019. Is it stuck?
A/ For defence, it is always a slow process. There are only two AMD (advanced materials and defence) corridors in India—one is in Uttar Pradesh and one is in Tamil Nadu. We have been supplying components to Chandrayaan and some of the world leaders like Boeing. Recently, our leader also went and met people at Rolls Royce and we are taking all efforts to bring it to Tamil Nadu.... We have plans to rope in investments at Sulur in Coimbatore soon. Across Tamil Nadu, there are major efforts in the space sector. The propellant park in Thoothukudi is coming up very soon.
Q/ Tamil Nadu has achieved a record 11.19 per cent economic growth. What is your growth prediction for the end of the decade?
A/ With Dravida model 2.0 in place, I am seeing higher double digits. You will see rapid change. I see the number being pushed beyond the 14-15 per cent mark.
Q/ What is the status of the SIR rollout in Tamil Nadu?
A/ On paper, we are very optimistic. But this is like Modi’s demonetisation decision. This shows their haste, their greed in trying to derail democracy itself. I strongly believe that this has been their biggest blunder. They have now touched the basic right of every citizen. The low IQ opposition that we have in Tamil Nadu does not seem to understand it. It is so fascinated and enslaved to the BJP that it would rather please the BJP than support and stand for democracy in India. SIR is a sham and it is a blot on the history of India. My leader will ensure that every single person in Tamil Nadu gets voting rights.
Q/ The elections are fast approaching. Tamil Nadu is not like how it used to be in 2021. The mindset of the voters has changed.
A/ I totally disagree. People have the same opinion regarding the DMK as in 2021. It is because they have seen what the DMK could do and the rise of Tamil Nadu against Delhi, despite the latter’s saffronisation efforts.