The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Coimbatore Zone, under the aegis of Coimbatore NEXT, organised a special interactive breakfast meeting with S. Keerthana, Hon’ble Minister for Industries & Investment Promotion, Government of Tamil Nadu, to present a comprehensive development agenda aimed at accelerating the economic growth of Coimbatore and western Tamil Nadu. Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar, IAS, District Collector, Coimbatore, and representatives of leading industry and business associations also participated in the meeting.
The meeting brought together representatives of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), CODISSIA, Southern India Engineering Manufacturers’ Association (SIEMA), Kongu Global Forum, Young Indians (Yi) and other industry bodies, reflecting the region’s collective commitment to strengthening Coimbatore’s industrial competitiveness.
The discussions focused on enhancing the region’s investment ecosystem, strengthening industrial infrastructure, generating high-quality employment and positioning Coimbatore as a preferred destination for advanced manufacturing, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), logistics, innovation and emerging industries.
Coimbatore NEXT presented its long-term vision for the region, highlighting the need to create a robust industrial land bank, establish new industrial estates, attract sunrise sectors and generate employment opportunities aligned with the aspirations of the region’s rapidly growing talent pool.
A detailed representation was made on the expansion of Coimbatore International Airport. Industry representatives sought early completion of interim expansion works, improvement of approach road connectivity, construction of the new integrated terminal, expeditious completion of the remaining land acquisition, enhancement of domestic and international air connectivity and completion of the airport boundary wall to facilitate future expansion.
Infrastructure development was another major focus of the discussions. Coimbatore NEXT urged the Government to expedite the Western Bypass (Phases II and III), the proposed 81-km Eastern Bypass by the National Highways Authority of India, widening of the existing L&T Bypass Road, improvement of the Chengapalli-Salem stretch of the Coimbatore-Salem corridor, the proposed Coimbatore-Karur Expressway and other strategic road infrastructure projects.
On the railway front, Coimbatore NEXT appealed to the State Government to engage with the Ministry of Railways to prioritise the redevelopment of Coimbatore Junction and establish additional train maintenance facilities to facilitate new train services, improve national connectivity and support the mobility requirements of industries across the region.
The recently released Coimbatore Master Plan also came up for detailed discussion, with industry representatives stressing the need for balanced policy interventions that promote manufacturing growth while ensuring sustainable urban development and addressing the concerns of the MSME sector.
Responding to the representations, S. Keerthana assured the participating associations that the Government would take concrete, time-bound steps to address the key priorities. She further said the scope of Guidance Tamil Nadu would be strengthened to facilitate investments and support the developmental agenda presented by Coimbatore NEXT and industry bodies in line with Tamil Nadu’s vision of becoming a US$1.5 trillion economy by 2035.
Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar briefed the gathering on the progress of land acquisition for the airport expansion project and appreciated the constructive role played by industry associations and civil society organisations in advancing the region’s development agenda. He also shared updates on the implementation of the Western Bypass, particularly Phases II and III, and initiatives being undertaken to create an industrial land bank for future growth.
Coimbatore NEXT thanked the Minister, the District Collector, senior government officials, industry associations and stakeholders for their positive engagement and reiterated its commitment to working closely with the Government to accelerate infrastructure development, attract investments, generate employment and position Coimbatore and western Tamil Nadu among India’s leading economic growth corridors.
The meeting was attended by Dr. R. Nandini, Past Chairperson, CII Southern Region and Managing Trustee, GRG Institutions; C. Devarajan, Chairman, CII Tamil Nadu and Managing Director, URC Constructions Ltd.; Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar, IAS, District Collector, Coimbatore; Vijay Mohan, Head, Aviation Taskforce, Coimbatore NEXT and Founder Chairman, Pricol Ltd.; V. Noushad, Chairman, CII Coimbatore Zone and Managing Director, Walkaroo International Pvt. Ltd.; Arjun Prakash, Committee Member, Coimbatore NEXT; Prashanth S., Committee Member, Coimbatore NEXT; D. Srinivasan, President, Tamil Nadu Hotel Association and Director, Sree Annapoorna; Mithun Ramdas, President, SIEMA; Rajesh Lund, President, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI); V. Rangaswamy, President, CODISSIA; J. Sathish, Director, Kongu Global Forum; S. Srikumaravelu, Member, Coimbatore NEXT and Past Chair, Young Indians (Yi) Coimbatore; Ashwin Manohar, Past Chair, Young Indians (Yi) Coimbatore; Jothi Prasad, Past Chair, Young Indians (Yi) Coimbatore; and Shyam Mohan, Aviation Analyst.
