Since the economic liberalisation in 1991, Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai has become one of the major destinations for investments by the world’s leading automobile majors. Today, seven of the 20 top global auto makers are located in and around Chennai, sometimes referred to as the ‘Detroit of India’.
But dark clouds threaten to bring that smooth ride to an end. Not only are new automakers choosing Gujarat over TN, but erstwhile mainstays of the auto scene in Chennai have also decided to move. Just yesterday, French car maker Peugeot announced that Gujarat, not TN, is a front runner for a 4,000 crore plant that the Peugeot plans on setting up soon. More worryingly, Ford which established its first factory in India at Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai in 1996 , announced a few weeks ago that its second facility—a Rs 4,000 crore investment with an initial installed capacity of 2.4 lakh units annually—will be set up in Gujarat, not Tamil Nadu.
Ford said it selected Gujarat because of the state's pro-business environment. "Gujarat is a classic example of what works. It is run in a professional way. No Bureaucrats hurdles at all, no electricity, water and connectivity problems and incentives are also high. Somehow Tamil Nadu is missing these and has become more bureaucratic
No comments:
Post a Comment