TN govt would extend all its support to industries: CM Stalin

The Tamil Nadu government would extend all its support towards progress of industrial establishments operating in the state, Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Tuesday.

After inaugurating the sprawling office of information technology major Cognizant Technology Solutions, Stalin interacted with the employees here.

The IT major which commenced operations in 1994 with just 50 employees in Tamil Nadu has set up its new modern facility spread across six lakh square feet that would house over 5,000 employees.

Besides setting up the office in Chennai, Cognizant has its presence in Coimbatore.

Chief Minister Stalin formally inaugurated the new office located at the Ozone Techno Park, Navalur, on the famous Old Mahabalipuram Road (popularly known as the city's IT corridor), an official release said on Tuesday.

After inaugurating the unit, the Chief Minister in his interaction with the employees said the government would extend all its support for the progress of industrial establishments operating in the state.

Cognizant has an employee base of 81,000 in Chennai and Coimbatore of which majority of them account for women, the release said.

''I am very glad to inaugurate the new facility of Cognizant Technology Solutions at Chennai. Tamil Nadu has always been in the forefront of technology and industrial development and has been the destination for many global companies in IT/ITeS, software as a service, hi-tech electronics and automotive manufacturing,'' he said.

''I am proud to have Cognizant in Tamil Nadu over the past 25 years and to witness its tremendous growth to a global giant in its sector and as one of the first billion dollar companies to get listed in the US,'' Stalin said.

''We congratulate Cognizant for launching their new facility and look forward to their continued contribution towards employment generation, digital up-skilling of our people, and for making Tamil Nadu a global IT hub,'' he said.

Cognizant has generated and continues to provide substantial employment in the state, he said. ''It is learnt that it employs more than 81,000 people in our state including a very large percentage of women workforce,'' Stalin said.

Referring to Cognizant becoming one of the first companies to start its development centre in Coimbatore, Stalin said, ''I remember having inaugurated the facility as Deputy Chief Minister 10 years ago.'' ''I am extremely happy to note that Cognizant Coimbatore is now a 18,000-plus strong centre and the largest private employer in the city. I take this opportunity to invite the industry to build upon this success and spread across more cities in Tamil Nadu,'' he said.

Stalin said Cognizant has been doing excellent work by providing digital tools and learning material to students and teachers in government schools. ''Cognizant's commitment to CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities in the state including the support extended at the time of the COVID pandemic,'' he said.

''I wish Cognizant all the very best with this facility and hope that the state and the company continue to work as partners to grow the technology ecosystem in Tamil Nadu,'' he said.

Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises T M Anbarasan, Guidance Tamil Nadu MD and CEO Pooja Kulkarni, Chengalpet District Collector A R Rahulnath, Cognizant India MD Rajesh Nambiar were present on the occasion.

''Tamil Nadu continues to be a key talent and global delivery hub for Cognizant. We are excited to launch our new facility in Chennai which reaffirms our commitment to the growth of our associates and communities in the state,'' Nambiar said.

''We will continue to expand our associate base, skill talent in advanced digital technologies, and expand our myriad initiatives to serve local communities through our partners and volunteer work,'' he said.