No bar on firms attending Andhra’s investor meet in Coimbatore, say officials

CHENNAI: Officials with the State Industries Department on Sunday dismissed reports that Tamil Nadu authorities had advised companies against attending an investor outreach programme organised by the Andhra Pradesh government in Coimbatore, saying companies were free to participate in investment promotion events conducted by any State.

“There is no truth in reports that companies were advised against attending the Andhra Pradesh government’s event. No department head or ministerial authority has issued any such direction. Companies are free to participate in investment promotion events organised by any State,” the officials added, citing precedents.

The Andhra Pradesh investor meet was a routine exercise to attract investments and should not be projected as a threat to Tamil Nadu, the officials said, accusing the Opposition of politicising the issue.

Such cross-State investment outreach is a normal practice, they said, pointing out that Andhra Pradesh had conducted roadshows in Chennai and other major cities in 2018 and held an investor meet in Chennai ahead of its Global Investors Summit in Visakhapatnam in 2023. Tamil Nadu, too, has organised similar programmes across India and overseas.

“Investors ultimately take decisions based on skilled manpower, infrastructure, transport and logistics, supply chains, market opportunities, policy stability and ease of doing business,” the officials said.

They said Tamil Nadu was also expanding industrial capacity around Chennai in response to demands for more land. The Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers’ Association (AIEMA) had sought about 1,000 acres within a 50-km radius of Chennai. The Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation (TANSIDCO) has identified around 294 acres of government land, while allocating 20 per cent of SIPCOT land to TANSIDCO could potentially create more than 1,000 additional acres.