Rs 80 cr Biotechnology park to come up in Coimbatore

PTI, Mar 4, 2020, 4:49 PM IST

Coimbatore: A biotechnology park would soon be set up at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) campus here, state Industries Minister M C Sampath said on Wednesday.

The 12-floor facility would also have an Information Technology segment and Chief Minister K Palaniswami would inaugurate it soon, he told reporters here.

To a query on the progress of the Defence Corridor project here, he said a special cell would be formed to look into it.

Noting that the government was planning to set up another Industrial park around Perundurai, the minister said it could accommodate small industries from Coimbatore region.

Asked about the impact on coir exports from Pollachi, due to coronavirus, he said the issue was taken up with the Chief Minister.

Sampath was here to inaugurate the 3-day 9th International Engineering Sourcing Show organised by Engineering Export Promotion Council.

He claimed that despite the global economic slowdown, Tamil Nadu was attracting more investments and become a preferred destination.

To another question, he said investments worth Rs 8,035 crore from 41 firms were attracted after Chief Minister’s foreign tour, resulting in the creation of over 26,000 jobs.

Earlier, addressing the show, Sampath noted that the State stood third in engineering exports and the government was focusing on developing the MSME sector to boost exports.

The state has signed 304 MoUs for various projects during the Global Investors Meet 2019, out of which 209 are under operation, he said.

In his speech, Tamil Nadu Rural Industries and MSME minister P Benjamin said small industries have witnessed an investment of Rs 17,810 crore by 11,508 industries, benefiting more than one lakh employees.

Of the 36 industrial parks announced in the last nine years, 23 had become functional, he said.