IIT Madras, Tamil Nadu govt launch 'Innovation-TN' dashboard to strengthen start-up ecosystem

Indian Institute of Madras (IIT Madras) has collaborated with Guidance Tamil Nadu to develop ‘Innovation-TN’, a state level dashboard for start-ups and innovation. The platform will connect the start-up ecosystem of Tamil Nadu with investors, industries, financial institutions, and entrepreneurs.

According to the data shared by IIT Madras, there are nearly 19,000 start-ups in Tamil Nadu, which have provided more than 2.2 lakh jobs, attracting over Rs 1.2 crore investment.

Giving insight into the ‘Innovation-TN’, Thiru TRB Rajaa, minister for industries, investment promotions and commerce, Government of Tamil Nadu, said: “The launch of the Tamil Nadu Innovation Platform marks a pivotal step in our journey towards promoting innovation and strengthening our entrepreneurial ecosystem. It reflects our government’s vision to position Tamil Nadu as the national leader in innovation, advanced manufacturing, and inclusive economic growth, ensuring that opportunities are accessible across every district, not just in metropolitan hubs.”

The institute further expressed that Tamil Nadu is the second largest industrial economy in India. “In recent years, the State has become a major hub for start-ups, which has positioned the state as an epicentre of innovation in the country,” it added.

In July, 2025, an agreement was also signed between Guidance TN, IIT Madras and YNOS for the development of Innovation TN dashboard.

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What is Innovation, Guidance TN?

It is a platform that provides an overview of the start-up ecosystem of Tamil Nadu and showcases the innovation prowess to different stakeholders such as investors, industries, financial institutions, and start-up founders.

Guidance Tamil Nadu is the Government of Tamil Nadu's nodal agency for investment promotion.

V Kamakoti, director, IIT Madras, said: “The dashboard will help policymakers to focus on the sectoral strengths of the different districts and develop suitable policy policies and programs. The dashboard also showcases the pool of start-ups to National and Global investors, thereby attracting investments from global Tamil diaspora as well as savvy angel and institutional investors.”

“Guidance Tamil Nadu would promote long-term strategic engagement between academic and industry and provide institutional support, visibility, and alignment with the State’s innovation priorities,” the engineering institute added.