CHENNAI: Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, on Friday, said that the contribution of Tamils to the IT sector is steadily increasing not only in the State but also across the world.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the first international conference and exhibition of the International Tamil Engineers Forum, held at the Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam here. The event was jointly inaugurated by Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and Transport Minister SS Sivasankar in the presence of former ISRO chairman Mylswamy Annadurai, scientist A Sivathanu Pillai, and several other dignitaries.
In his address, the minister said engineering has been ingrained in Tamil tradition for centuries. Ancient Tamil engineers built ports that facilitated trade with global markets, as evidenced by the Roman coins found in Keezhadi. Large dams and temples, including the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, also stand testimony to Tamil engineering excellence, he noted.
He added that Tamil Nadu's strength in engineering and higher education was shaped by pioneering policies, including compulsory elementary education introduced by the Justice Party in 1921, followed by initiatives such as free mid-day meals, free bicycles, and laptops for school students. These measures have enabled the State to achieve the highest levels of enrolment in higher education.
Currently, about 54% of students in Tamil Nadu pursue higher education, with the State contributing nearly 20% of India's engineering graduates, despite accounting for only 6% of the country's population, he said.
In the IT sector, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said nearly 80% of employees in Chennai's IT workforce are from Tamil Nadu, while in Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tirunelveli, the share is almost 100%. He observed that Tamils hold key leadership roles in start-ups across Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and even abroad.