State gaining top slot in nation under DMK: CM Stalin

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday asserted that Tamil Nadu would emerge as the number one state in India by 2031, when “Dravidian model 2.0” reaches completion, referring to his hope of winning a term again in the 2026 polls.

Reiterating his confidence in the development model being pursued by his government, CM Stalin said Tamil Nadu’s success demonstrated the effectiveness of the Dravidian model. He said the aim was to ensure that by 2031, Tamil Nadu would not trail any other state in any sector, but would instead set the national benchmark for development, beating states including BJP-ruled Gujarat.

In a post on social media platform X, he highlighted Tamil Nadu’s current economic performance, saying the State had topped the country in Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth with a rate of 16 per cent. He said the achievement was notable as Tamil Nadu was neither among the largest states by area nor by population, and did not receive extensive support from the Union government.

CM Stalin said Tamil Nadu had recorded stable and high growth over the past three years, a trend reflected in data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Between the financial years 2021 and 2025, the State’s economy had expanded by about Rs 10.5 lakh crore, taking the total value of the economy to Rs 31.19 lakh crore, he pointed out.

He noted that Tamil Nadu’s growth rate had surpassed that of other developed large states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat. The Chief Minister added that the State’s performance in per capita income growth also continued to remain strong.