About Tamil Nadu: Tourism, Industries, Economy, Agriculture, Climate, Geography

Tamil Nadu is the fourth largest state of India. Located in the southernmost part of the country, Tamil Nadu is surrounded by Andhra Pradesh from the north, Karnataka and Kerala from the west, Indian Ocean from the south, and Bay of Bengal from the east.

Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Tamil Nadu grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.56 per cent between 2011-12 and 2016-17, reaching Rs 12.99 trillion (US$ 193.55 billion) in 2016-17. Per capita GSDP at current prices of the state was Rs 170,929 (US$ 2,548) in 2016-17.

Tamil Nadu has a diversified manufacturing sector and features among the leaders in several industries like automobiles and auto components, engineering, pharmaceuticals, garments, textile products, leather products, chemicals, plastics, etc. It ranks first among the states in terms of number of factories and industrial workers.

Tamil Nadu has a well-developed infrastructure with an excellent road and rail network, three major ports, 23 minor ports, and seven airports across the state providing excellent connectivity. As of May 2018, Tamil Nadu had a total installed power generation capacity of 29.90 Gigawatt (GW).

According to the DIPP, cumulative FDI inflows in Tamil Nadu during April 2000 to December 2017 stood at US$ 26.52 billion.

Key Sectors:

• Tamil Nadu had 16 operational SEZs for IT/ITeS as of December 2017
• Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of cotton yarn, accounting for 41% of India’s production.
• IT exports from Tamil Nadu have increased from US$ 7.1 billion in 2007-08 to US$ 15.57 billion in 2016-17(E), registering growth at a CAGR of 8.17% during FY2008 and FY2017.
• Tamil Nadu’s tourism industry grew at a CAGR of 19.70 per cent between 2011 & 2016 in terms of tourist arrivals.
• In May 2018, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) got clearance from the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Ministry of Environment, of Rs 2,476 crore (US$ 384.17 million) Chennai Airport expansion programme over an area of 1,301.28 acres.
• For the calendar year 2018, Tamil Nadu has most number of solar projects with a capacity of 2,000 MW.

Note: E - Estimate