AI to drive Tamil Nadu towards $1 Trillion Economy, experts at FICCI Summit

chennai: the 9th edition of ficci's digital disruption and transformation summit began in chennai on friday, focusing on the theme “how can ai transform tamil nadu industries and drive tamil nadu to be a trillion dollar economy by 2030.” industry leaders, policymakers, and experts highlighted the transformative role of artificial intelligence (ai) in accelerating economic growth.k.p. karthikeyan, managing director of elcot, government of tamil nadu, set the tone by emphasizing ai's disruptive potential.“ai brings industries together, and its benefits are reaching sectors widely. the government is committed to supporting msmes and other industries in adopting these technologies for job creation and sustained growth,” he said. he also noted ai's contributions to healthcare, including drug development for cancer treatment, and stressed that automation is now a universal phenomenon shaping the future.g.s.k. velu, chairman of ficci tamil nadu state council and cmd of trivitron healthcare, described the summit as a key platform for government, industry, and academia to drive technology-led growth.“ai is redefining value chains across manufacturing, education, healthcare, governance, and mobility. it is not just creating efficiencies but also generating employment,” he observed, urging the state to harness ai for inclusive progress.dr. v. rajaram, convenor of ficci tamil nadu technology panel, lauded the government's efforts in adopting emerging technologies but cautioned against talent shortages and language barriers. he identified data centres as a major growth opportunity and called for robust digital policies for secure transactions and accessibility.k. ramakrishnan, senior managing director, spark capital advisors, estimated that achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030 would require ₹12 lakh crore in capital investment. he stressed the importance of innovation, workforce reskilling, and collaborative msme clusters, pointing to sectors like electronics (with 41% export potential), semiconductors, evs, aerospace, and space technology as ai-driven growth areas.bhupesh nagarajan, co-chairman of ficci tamil nadu state council, thanked the state government for initiatives such as centres of excellence and industry-friendly policies, which he said would be crucial in making tamil nadu a global hub for ai-led innovation.