CII Southern Region to Focus on Competitiveness, Growth, Resilience, Inclusion, Sustainability and Trust in 2026-27

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Southern Region, will focus on accelerating South India’s competitiveness through growth, resilience, inclusion, sustainability and trust, said Mr P Ravichandran, Chairman, CII Southern Region, and President, Danfoss India, Danfoss Industries Pvt Ltd, at his maiden press conference in Chennai today.

Mr Ravichandran said Southern India continues to be one of the strongest contributors to India’s economic progress, accounting for nearly 32 per cent of the country’s GDP and around 30 per cent of India’s manufacturing GVA. He noted that the region has emerged as a major growth engine, with a combined GDP of Rs 57.16 lakh crore in FY25 at constant prices and contributes nearly 40 per cent of India’s total services output.

Mr Ravichandran has taken over as Chairman, CII Southern Region, for 2026-27. Mr Krishna Bodanapu, Executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Cyient Ltd, has assumed office as Deputy Chairman, CII Southern Region, for the year.

Outlining the priorities for 2026-27, Mr Ravichandran said CII Southern Region will work around the theme “Accelerating South India’s Competitiveness: Growth, Resilience, Inclusion, Sustainability, Trust.” The focus areas for the year will include manufacturing and MSME growth, digital transformation and AI, green transition and energy security, talent excellence, agri value chains and food processing, infrastructure and logistics, global markets and FTA leverage, and tourism and the sports economy.

Highlighting CII Southern Region’s work in the previous year, he said 56 committees and task forces were formed across the region to articulate industry concerns, ideas and solutions. CII Southern Region submitted 159 representations to State Governments, of which 41 were accepted or partially accepted. More than 60 high-level engagements were also undertaken to support MSME-friendly policies, ease of doing business, sustainability and workforce development.

Mr Ravichandran said CII Southern Region will continue to strengthen industry-government engagement across all Southern States. In Tamil Nadu, CII’s advocacy has focused on enabling 24×7 operations through amendments to the Shops and Establishments framework, and on advancing areas such as semiconductor manufacturing clusters, technical textiles innovation parks and EV charging infrastructure. He also highlighted CII’s CSR interventions across health, education, skilling, livelihoods, water and anganwadi development, including STEM Labs in Government schools in Tamil Nadu and water body rejuvenation projects across the region.

Speaking on Tamil Nadu, Mr Ravichandran said the state remains one of India’s strongest economic powerhouses. Tamil Nadu recorded a real GSDP of Rs 17.32 lakh crore in FY25, the highest in Southern India, and merchandise exports of $53.9 billion in 2025, making it the top exporter in the Southern Region. The state also recorded the largest manufacturing GVA in the Southern Region at Rs 3.77 lakh crore.

He said Tamil Nadu’s strength lies in its diversified industrial base across automotive and EVs, electronics, textiles and apparel, IT and global capability centres, defence and aerospace, and precision engineering. The state produces 36 per cent of India’s two-wheelers, 25 per cent of four-wheelers and over 60 per cent of EV two-wheelers, while also recording $14.65 billion in electronics exports in FY25.

For Tamil Nadu, CII has outlined a vision to position the state as India’s most competitive, globally connected and inclusive industrial economy. Key recommendations include strengthening Tamil Nadu as a global sub-national brand, building it into a leading talent hub by 2032, promoting Tier-2 cities as career centres, improving power sector performance, strengthening policy support for EVs, electronics, semiconductors, defence and MedTech, and accelerating approvals through the Vetri TN single-window digital platform.

Mr Ravichandran said CII will continue to engage with the State Government on delays in approvals related to CMDA, DTCP, the Pollution Control Board, environmental clearances, electricity and renewable energy grid connectivity. CII will also advocate faster commercial dispute resolution, improved MSME credit access, enhanced GeM participation, and stronger support for manufacturing scale-up and export readiness.

He said South India has the potential to build a new manufacturing growth model driven by Industry 4.0, MSME scale-up, global linkages, AI adoption, digital transformation and sustainability. CII Southern Region will also focus on talent development, agri value chains, logistics, FTA utilisation, tourism and the sports economy, while continuing to serve as a strong bridge between industry and government.

Mr Ravichandran added that CII Southern Region will work closely with governments, industry and institutions to translate South India’s strengths in scale, talent, industrial capability and global linkages into competitiveness, investment, exports, jobs and sustainable development.

Mr Krishna Bodanapu, Deputy Chairman, CII Southern Region and Executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Cyient Ltd was also present during the Press Conference.

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