For TN startups to go global

CHENNAI: With values pegged at over $28 billion, Tamil Nadu’s startup ecosystem is growing at a pace of 23% annually, according to government estimates. Building on that momentum, the state is gearing up for its biggest startup gathering yet – the Tamil Nadu Global Startup Summit 2025, to be held on October 9 and 10 at the CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex in Coimbatore. Billed as the State’s first global-format startup event, it will feature more than 750 stalls, over 100 investors and participation from 30+ countries.

To understand what this means for startups and where the ecosystem is headed, DT Next spoke to Sivaraja Ramanathan, CEO of StartupTN, the nodal agency behind the summit.

What is the idea behind hosting a startup summit at a global scale?

Startups are not a separate sector; they are the new generation of business. Governments have to provide the right environment so that young entrepreneurs can adapt to those changes. The main purpose is to connect Tamil Nadu’s ecosystem with the global one. By inviting stakeholders from more than 30 countries, along with central government agencies, state startup missions from across India, and around 15 departments from Tamil Nadu itself, we want our startups to see opportunities beyond their immediate markets.

What makes this event different from earlier gatherings like the Startup Thiruvizha?

The Thiruvizha was about creating a cultural shift, which was meant to get students and families to look at entrepreneurship as a serious option and to showcase successful founders from Tamil Nadu. When we started StartupTN in 2021, the state had just over 2,000 registered startups. Today we have crossed 12,000. That growth shows the change in mindset. With the Global Summit, we’re moving to the next stage. The focus is on scaling companies, raising capital, and building international connections.

What can participants expect in terms of outcomes?

We’ve tried to make the summit as outcome-driven as possible. The expo will have close to 1,000 startups, including 120 from overseas, as well as 75 incubation centres, government departments and corporates. There will be around 250-300 speakers across seven tracks covering areas such as artificial intelligence, space technology, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and social impact. More importantly, we’re curating one-on-one meetings between startups and investors or mentors. In the last six months alone, StartupTN has helped raise about Rs 120 crore through curated connections; we expect the summit to push this further with more than 500 structured meetings. The idea is to ensure participants don’t just attend sessions but also come away with concrete leads and partnerships.

What kind of international participation has been confirmed? How does it help local startups?

Around 220 stakeholders from 30 countries have confirmed their presence including startups, universities, incubators, accelerators and investors. For a Tamil Nadu startup looking at Europe, for instance, country delegations will be able to explain eligibility requirements, expansion opportunities, grants and investor networks. At the same time, foreign startups coming here are keen on partnering with local founders to enter the Indian market. So it works both ways.

Scaling remains a challenge for many founders. How does the summit address that?

Scaling depends on two things. One is having a business model that can be replicated at a larger level. The other is access to funds. At the summit, startups will have the chance to meet mentors and incubation centres who can help with refining models. More than 100 venture capital firms and a number of angel investors are expected. Startups will have scheduled meetings with them. This is not a chance networking, as it’s a structured process designed to help founders move from survival to growth.

Will there be any new policy or announcements at the summit?

You’ll have to wait for the policy side, but we’re introducing a new AI-enabled mobile app to make networking easier. Every participant, whether a startup, investor, mentor, academic or incubator has to register on it. The app allows users to state their profile and needs, for example an agritech founder, looking for investors in that sector. It then recommends relevant matches by showing which investors have funded similar startups in the past. Participants can request meetings, which can be scheduled at dedicated networking pods inside the venue or even outside if both sides agree.

Where do you see Tamil Nadu’s startup ecosystem by 2030?

In 2023, we released the Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Policy which set out the vision to be among the top 20 startup ecosystems in the world. This also ties into Chief Minister Stalin’s larger goal of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030. For that, our startups have to succeed not just locally but globally. The Global Summit is one step in that journey to connect our founders with the world and to make Tamil Nadu a strong and internationally recognised ecosystem.

WHAT TO EXPECT

· Startups showcasing: 800–1,000 (120 international)

· Speakers: 250-plus (national - international)

· Investors: 100-plus VC/angel firms

· 750-plus exhibitors

· 75 incubation centres

· 50-plus TN power brands

· Countries represented: 30-plus

HIGHLIGHTS

· Launch of an AI-enabled networking app for delegates

· Thematic pavilions on space tech, student innovation, D2C, social impact, agri-tech

· 500-plus structured investor–start-up meetings expected

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