State government intends to Tamil Nadu a quality capital: TRB Rajaa

Minister for Industries T.R.B. Rajaa on Wednesday said the state government intends to make Tamil Nadu quality capital of India and the world.

Earlier, the industries in the state looked up to precision engineering from Switzerland as a benchmark but it was time to explore opportunities and focus on quality through the India-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Trade and Economic Agreement, he said speaking at the Tamil Nadu EFTA Business Summit 2025 in Chennai, organised by the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI).

The trade and economic agreement, which came into effect from October 1, pledges $100 billion in investments and the creation of one million direct jobs in India over 15 years, while providing wider goods and services access across Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

Mr. Rajaa said Tamil Nadu has doubled its exports to $52 billion from $26 billion in the last four years, with $14.6 billion coming from electronics.

The State accounts for 41% of the country’s electronics exports, he said.

Tamil Nadu has signed memoranda of understanding with an investment potential of ₹ 11.32 lakh crore and with high conversion rate, he said.

Mr. Rajaa also expressed hope that the state would build meaningful partnership with Norway on shipbuilding and blue economy while the geothermal capabilities of Iceland could also be leveraged.

He also called for the creation of a working group with time-bound targets to ensure that the full potential of the agreement is harnessed.

Tamil Nadu as a state will be probably best placed to reap the benefits of the trade agreement, Industries Secretary Arun Roy said.

Ms. Maya Tissafi, Ambassador of Switzerland to India and Bhutan, Embassy of Switzerland, New Delhi said there are around 330 Swiss companies in India employing 150,000 people and 17 Swiss companies are operating in Tamil Nadu across diverse sectors like mechanical and electrical engineering, precision engineering and others.

“In challenging times for global trade, with protectionism rising and multilateralism under pressure, the entry into force of this comprehensive, global-looking partnership is not just significant, it is remarkable,” she said.

Mr. Bjørn Iversen, Head of Innovation Norway & Commercial Counsellor, Royal Norwegian Embassy said the agreement supports Norway’s commitment to sustainable development and green transition in India and highlighted sectors like maritime, shipbuilding among others.

V.N. Shiva Shankar, senior vice president, SICCI said that SICCI, along with Guidance Tamil Nadu and EY, will establish a Tamil Nadu–EFTA Business Facilitation Desk, host annual EFTA Roundtables on emerging sectors.

Niklaus-Samuel Gugger, member, Swiss National Council and President, Switzerland-India, Parliamentary Friendship Group, Benedikt Höskuldsson, Ambassador of Iceland to India, among others, spoke at the event.