Tiruchi has not received any major investment yet under the Tamil Nadu Industrial Defence Corridor (TNIDC) project announced in 2019.It was with the view of encouraging entrepreneurs to scale up their contribution to domestic Defence production that the then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Tamil Nadu Industrial Defence Corridor Project in Tiruchi in 2019. Taking into account the contribution of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in supplying components for defence weaponry, the Centre had included Tiruchi along with Chennai, Salem, Coimbatore and Hosur in the defence corridor.It was widely expected that the Centre’s announcement would attract big investments in Tiruchi industrialists. There was a buzz that the Centre and State governments would bring in big investments under the project. Industrial bodies expected the setting up of a mechanical testing lab, research and development (R&D ) centres and other needed infrastructure in Tiruchi. Seven years have gone since the announcement was made. However, the city and its periphery has received no major investment so far. Similarly, no R&D centres and other infrastructure have been started so far.According to industry sources, Chennai and Coimbatore, which are part of the five nodal cities of the project, have attracted some dedicated investments for producing defence products. There are 25 to 30 entrepreneurs engaged in defence, aerospace, electronic and other related products in Tiruchi. But, they operate in small ways and undertake orders for micro and macro components of certain products. Most of them came into being before the announcement was made on the defence corridor. No dedicated medium and large scale units have come up in Tiruchi after the announcement.“It requires constant push from the government bodies. The State government conducted the Global Investor Summit in 2024. There is no facilitation centre for guiding the entrepreneurs on defence corridor project,” says N. Kanagasabapathy, former president, Tiruchi District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association.While stating that no major investment has so far been made in Tiruchi under the defence corridor project, a member of the Confederation of Indian Industry in Tiruchi, said that there was a scope to attract large defence companies. Many small-scale fabrication units were active in Tiruchi. Some of them were producing some components to the State run defence companies. There was a need for developing an ecosystem to boost defence production in Tiruchi. One big ticket investment could pave the way for creating an ecosystem. A new government had assumed office in Tiruchi. The Centre and State governments should come together to listen to grievances of the entrepreneurs so as to take forward the agenda of bringing new investment to Tiruchi. Published - July 01, 2026 08:23 pm IST