Tamil Nadu Gears Up for Global Startup Summit 2025 with Inclusive Innovation Drive

Launch of the Global Startup Summit 2025

Tamil Nadu Gears Up for Global Startup Summit 2025 with Inclusive Innovation Drive: Tamil Nadu has set the stage for a major entrepreneurial leap with the announcement of the Global Startup Summit 2025. Organised by the Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (StartupTN) under the MSME Department, the event aims to bring together innovators, investors, and policymakers to spotlight Tamil Nadu’s rising potential as a startup hub. The summit will take place in Coimbatore, and the official logo and website were launched by the Deputy Chief Minister during a recent event hosted by The Hindu and SRM Institute of Science and Technology, in association with Sify Technologies.

Tamil Nadu’s Startup Ecosystem and Challenges

Tamil Nadu is quickly gaining recognition in the Asian startup landscape. It ranks among the top 10 regions in Asia in terms of available talent, and NITI Aayog has lauded the state as a model for innovation ecosystems. The capital city Chennai, known as India’s software services capital, was ranked 18th globally in the Global Startup Report 2024. However, despite this success, challenges remain. One of the major concerns is the high infant mortality rate among startups, often due to the lack of corporate governance practices during scaling. Another critical gap is the absence of a strong venture capital ecosystem in Chennai, which limits the ability of startups to grow beyond the early stage.

Gramam Thorum Puthozhil: Taking Startups to Villages

To address geographical disparity in entrepreneurship, StartupTN is launching a new scheme called “Gramam Thorum Puthozhil”, which translates to “Start-ups in Every Village”. The initiative seeks to decentralize the startup ecosystem by nurturing rural talent and fostering rural innovation. The focus is on sustainable growth, bringing technology and entrepreneurship to underserved regions. The scheme also places a special emphasis on inclusive entrepreneurship, covering aspects like gender, caste, and geography.

Redefining Startups: Tamil Nadu’s Unique Approach

In a move to tailor central definitions to local contexts, Tamil Nadu modified the Government of India’s startup definition in its 2023 policy. While the Centre defines startups as companies less than 10 years old with a turnover below ₹100 crore, Tamil Nadu reduced the turnover cap to ₹50 crore. This narrower scope aims to prioritize early-stage businesses and enhance targeted policy support. This localised strategy reflects the state’s intent to offer focused support to truly emerging ventures, rather than large-scale enterprises.

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