CHENNAI – The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is considering manufacturing electric vehicles (EVs) and electronics at its first net-zero industrial park, to be set up in the state capital Chennai with support from Singapore.
A net-zero industrial park is a manufacturing complex with greenhouse gas emissions as close to zero as possible.
The Tamil Nadu Industrial Promotion Corporation (Sipcot) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s Singapore-India Partnership Office (MTI) have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop sustainable industrial parks in 2023.
The agreement was signed during Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s visit to Singapore in May 2023.
The park is still in the planning stages, with both sides working together to develop a framework and officials say it could be ready within a year. This guides all aspects of park operations, from how emissions are measured to funding, and pinpoints the exact location of his three designated parks in north Chennai.
Sipcot Managing Director Dr K Senthil Raj told The Straits Times that Chennai has a strong base of electronics manufacturing with companies such as Nokia and Samsung.
“We thought, let’s create (a net-zero industrial park) with electronics clusters and electric vehicles. I wanted to take advantage of this movement.”
Dr Raj said multiple discussions were held between officials from both Singapore and Tamil Nadu on a framework to determine the level of success of the park.
A panel discussion on ‘India’s first net-zero industrial park framework’ with speakers from Singapore and Tamil Nadu was held at the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet 2024 in Chennai on January 7th. .
The plan is to provide renewable energy sources and recycle waste, apart from looking at other innovative solutions to reduce emissions, Dr Raj said.
“We’re focusing on light industry because it’s easier to set up,” he said, noting that emissions need to be measured at every step.
Tamil Nadu is India’s most industrialized state and has the largest number of factories at 38,837, accounting for 15 percent of the factories in the country. Shipcot operates 30 industrial parks spread over 15,780 hectares in Tamil Nadu and plans to open 20 more industrial parks spread over 18,210 hectares over the next 10 years, including a net zero park. Officials have not given a deadline for the park’s completion.
For Singapore, this cooperation underscores its efforts to promote sustainable practices not only within its borders but also through international cooperation.
This collaboration will include establishing pilot or proof-of-concept projects that incorporate sustainability into master planning, financing, logistics, renewable energy, water and waste management.