Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in Tiruchi region should diversify their production to capitalise on the growing opportunities in the defence sectors, Wing Commander P. Madhusoodhanan, Vice President – Aerospace and Defence Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), said on Thursday.Addressing a meeting and orientation session organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) , Tiruchi zone, for MSMEs in the region, Mr. Madhusoodhanan said, “Last year, the defence production in the country was approximately worth ₹1.5 lakh crore. The target for exports this year is around ₹50,000 crore. These numbers will keep increasing in the near future. The government desires that the contribution to the economy by the manufacturing sector should be at 25%. When the nation’s dreams grow, the manufacturing should accompany that.”Pointing to the leading position held by the State in the manufacturing sector, he said: “Currently, the contribution of Tamil Nadu to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is 14%. So what we do here, is going to be replicated by other states.”The official added that companies in the region should utilise the government’s economic initiatives and participate in production of weapons systems, spacecraft, and aerospace equipment in larger numbers.BHEL’s roleRepresentatives of MSMEs were briefed on new vendor and business opportunities in Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) by Shankaran, general manager – outsourcing.Besides this, an awareness session was held on the importance of intellectual property rights by Mahalakshmi, executive office, Tamil Nadu Technology Development and Promotion Centre. A session on labour codes for MSMEs was helmed by Ravi Sankar, Chief Operating Officer – HRO, Iprime Consultancy Services.CII Tiruchi Zone chairman V. Sivaramakrishnan spoke. Published - June 25, 2026 09:19 pm IST