Tamil Nadu sees Blue Economy as a powerful tool to bring sustainable prosperity to coastal districts
Of late, there has been a growing buzz around the blue economy in Tamil Nadu power corridors. The phrase implies economic activities associated with the ocean, seas and coastal regions, which includes shipbuilding, processing and exporting of seafood, and coastal tourism.
Tamil Nadu boasts of having the second longest coastline in India (after Gujarat). But the resource hasn't been tapped to a satisfactory extent. And that is something the TN govt is out to fix.
"As TN charts its course towards our CM's (M K Stalin) ambition of a $1 trillion economy, the Blue Economy presents some of the most exciting opportunities. Despite having the second longest coastline in India, we believe our coast is still underutilized from an economic standpoint.
This is something we are now addressing with urgency through a vision laid out by our CM," said T R B Rajaa, TN Minister for Industries. "We see the Blue Economy as a powerful tool to bring sustainable prosperity to our coastal districts, through investments that create large job opportunities for both skilled and semi-skilled talents," he added.
The state's approach is strategic and focused on three key areas – shipbuilding, seafood processing and coastal tourism.
Each of these has the potential to dramatically transform livelihoods and local economies.
"The key strategy is maximizing the potential of TN's long coastline. Besides the focus areas, we could tap the state's port facilities spread across its coast. Shipbuilding is an area that has drawn the attention of the Centre as well. The Centre has ambitious plans to be part of the top five shipbuilding nations by 2047. In February, during the Union Budget 2025, a key maritime sector announcement was regarding the establishment of the ₹25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund (MDF) to support long-term investments in the sector.
The other big ticket takeaway was the introduction of the revamped Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy (SBFAP 2.0) to encourage more participation in shipbuilding activities. With an improved outlay of ₹18,090 crore, this policy is aimed at strengthening domestic shipyards and enhancing their global competitiveness.
Tamil Nadu is also working on a Marine Transport policy which could be out in a month, and this could generate a lot of economic opportunities," said Darez Ahamed, MD & CEO, Guidance Tamil Nadu.
To understand the potential offered by shipbuilding - consider that just one anchor investor can unlock an entire value chain of MSMEs in welding, precision engineering, logistics and marine services. The state has already initiated talks with global players to set up shipbuilding facilities in TN. As per sources, the order books of these international operators are packed till 2032. On its part, the state must provide the infrastructure needed to help them to establish their units here.
For every job created inside the shopfloor of a shipbuilding company, seven jobs will be created outside. That's the potential it offers, say stakeholders.
In the seafood sector, TN is no longer content with being just a supplier of raw catch. The game plan now is to build end-to-end infrastructure for seafood processing, cold chains and export-quality packaging, ensuring that value addition happens right here in the state's fishing hamlets, creating better incomes and sustainable livelihoods for the coastal communities.
Infrastructure, especially roads connecting the coastal belt, cold chains along the TN coast, availability of power for these cold chains, mapping the wasteland on the coast, utilizing it adequately for growth of marine food and processing industries, are some of the key areas TN should focus on, said a leading consultant for the marine food industry, on condition of anonymity.
"We will be addressing all the issues that have been holding back the growth of the seafood industry in Tamil Nadu, vis-a-vis neighbouring states including Andhra Pradesh, which accounts for Rs 26,000 crore worth seafood exports as against TN's Rs 8,000 crore.
We would soon match the best performing states in this sector," a TN govt official said.
Coastal tourism is a major plus point. Tamil Nadu's coast is beautiful, diverse and rich in culture, but it remains largely unexplored. The state is developing a blueprint to unlock this through sustainable, community-led tourism, which will entail eco-friendly resorts, avenues for water-based recreational activities and support for local entrepreneurship.
The aim is to make the coast a world-class destination; while keeping it rooted in tradition.
"To ensure this transformation is inclusive, we plan to skill the youth in coastal regions through initiatives under the Naan Mudhalvan programme. We want our coastal communities to be more than beneficiaries. They must be the driving force behind this change. Tamil Nadu's Blue Economy strategy is also about building a just, green and resilient future for our coastal communities, and we are committed to making it a reality," Rajaa said.
So, of the three segments that have got the special focus under the Blue Economy strategy, which one might get a head start? "We would like all three to take off big-time, since the opportunities are significant. But realistically, the first shipbuilding could take off in just about a year from now," says Guidance Tamil Nadu's Ahamed. That's just on the horizon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
River water disputes: TG govt ready for dialogue with AP
Hyderabad: The Telangana Cabinet will meet on June 24 to finalize an action plan to find an amicable solution to the snowballing inter-state row over the Bankacharla project through a dialogue with Andhra Pradesh government, while keeping its option to fight for the state's needs. During an interaction with media persons before leaving for Hyderabad from New Delhi on Friday evening, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said that he did not want to develop animosity with the neighbouring state. He said he would prefer to resolve water disputes in a friendly atmosphere. In the wake of rising river water disputes among southern states, particularly AP, Karnataka and Maharashtra, the Chief Minister said: 'Our policy is to continue good relations with all states and find a solution to the river water disputes with each state through talks only'. Revanth Reddy took a broadside at former chief minister and BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao and T Harish Rao for politicizing the Banakacharla issue. He said that the Banakacharla issue was the result of KCR and Harish Rao agreeing to AP lifting water from Godavari at the Apex Council meeting in 2016. The official meetings held between AP and Telangana CMs in 2019 also sowed the seeds of exploitation of Godavari water by the neighbouring state. Revanth Reddy questioned the silence of the former chief minister KCR on the GOs issued by the AP government in 2016 and 2018 for Banakacharla. The CM took a swipe also at Union Minister for Coal G Kishan Reddy for not coming forward to protect the interests of Telangana from the exploitation of Godavari and Krishna water by Andhra Pradesh. 'Kishan Reddy is tutor of KTR and KTR is playing a liaison officer role for the Union Minister,' he alleged. Revanth Reddy criticized KCR for not irrigating even 50,000 acres by spending more than Rs 2 lakh crore on Kaleshwaram. The multi-crore Kaleshwaram project was left unused after the damages to the three barrages of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla. Further, the Chief Minister alleged that the Union government was indifferent towards Telangana in sanctioning the state's irrigation projects and allocating funds for them. He wondered why the Centre was proactive in releasing funds liberally to the Polavaram project, although Telangana had raised strong objections. He sought to know the Centre's main intention in approving the Banakacharla project without water allocations. 'PM Narendra Modi needs the support of AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu to run the coalition government at the Centre. The BRS wanted to raise the water disputes to survive in Telangana politics', he said.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
TG to counter Banakacharla with Tummidhetti project
Hyderabad: Amid the fresh row over the Banakacharla project between AP and Telangana; the Telangana government is bracing to expedite the construction of the much-delayed Tummidihetti project to counter the Andhra Pradesh government's preemptive move to develop the controversial multi-crore Godavari-Banakacharla project. A delegation led by TG Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has already informed Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil about the government's decision to take up the Tummidihetti during the meeting held in New Delhi on Thursday. As a report of the Central Water Commission (CWC) already established the availability of adequate water for a project at Tummidihetti on Godavari, the State Irrigation wing came up with a proposal to utilize 180 TMC of water by constructing the Tummidihetti project. High-ranking official sources said that the irrigation officials were already engrossed in the preparation of the detailed project report (DPR) afresh for the project for submission to the Centre soon. It may be mentioned here that the previous government had submitted a DPR to the CWS in May 2023 (before the Assembly elections in Telangana). Under the project, the then government proposed to establish a barrage across Pranahita river, a tributary of Godavari, at Tummidihetti village in Koutala mandal of Adilabad district. The main objective of the project is to provide irrigation facilities for an ayacut of 2 lakh acres in the erstwhile Adilabad district. Following regime change, the Congress government announced the revival of the Pranahita–Chevella project by constructing a barrage at Tummidihetti. 'State government decided to prepare a new DPR to utilize more than 180 TMC of water through the Tummidihetti project. The project will help Telangana utilize Godavari water. With the AP government hastening the approval process for Banakacharla and in view of the Centre's full support to the project, the Telangana government decided to mount pressure on the Centre for approval to the Tummidihetti also,' officials said, adding that Telangana had adopted a strategy to seek justice from the Centre by approving Tummihetti just as the Banakacharla project received all support. Should the Centre fail to clear the Tummidihetti project, the Telangana government would expose the double standard adopted by the Union government in approving Telangana projects on Godavari. The Chief Minister is keen to make Tummidhetti a big issue and seek central assistance for the project. Once the Tummidihetti project is approved, the abandoned Pranahita-Chevella project will come alive. Officials said that the relevant DPR would be prepared afresh and submitted to the Centre in two or three months.
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Tiruchy DMK drive targets 75,000 new members per constituency
TIRUCHY: Gearing up for the 2026 Assembly elections, the DMK kicked off a membership campaign across Tiruchy, targeting at least 30% of voters in every constituency. The initiative is part of the state-wide 'Oraniyil Tamil Nadu' drive launched by Chief Minister and party president MK Stalin earlier this week. At the party's executive committee meeting held at Kalaignar Arivalayam on Friday, principal secretary and Minister for Municipal Administration K N Nehru handed over enrolment forms to district secretaries K Vairamani (Central) and Kaduvetti Thiagarajan (North). "The DMK president has instructed us to enrol 30% of voters in every constituency. Every cadre in DMK must bring in all eligible members of their family into as party members," Nehru said. On Thursday, while presiding over a meeting in South Tiruchy, Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi passed a resolution endorsing the 30% target. He also reviewed booth-level and local committee level assignments and urged cadres to intensify outreach. District-level leaders said the party aims to mobilise 75,000 members per constituency on average. Party strategists said each booth of 1,000 voters will be assigned committee members to enrol at least 300 voters, with one volunteer managing every 100 voters through door-to-door canvassing. A ward secretary in Tiruchy West constituency said, "We have received the forms, and will soon call on DMK supporters first and then potential supporters to enroll them as members." "We've been instructed to convert the trust people have reposed in the government's welfare schemes into political strength. Most households have at least one beneficiary. Now, we must ensure DMK's presence in every street and every household," said a senior Tiruchy DMK functionary overseeing the membership drive.
