Tamil Nadu

Industrial Infrastructure & Investment

Global Capability Centre (GCC) Corridor & KLA Tencor Land Deal:
- GCC Corridor: The State government announced the creation of a dedicated GCC Corridor along the Pallavaram–Thoraipakkam Radial Road in Chennai due to its established IT infrastructure and proximity to Chennai International Airport.
- Major Acquisition: Semiconductor equipment manufacturer KLA Tencor acquired a 12-acre land parcel along the corridor for ₹1,020 crore (the zone’s largest single land deal) to build a Global Capability Centre and R&D hub under a ₹3,510-crore MoU.
Second Chennai Airport Site Shortlisting:
- The Tamil Nadu government shortlisted two potential sites for Chennai’s second airport: Cheyyur (Chengalpattu district) and Manellore (near Gummidipoondi, Tiruvallur district).
- The State requested the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to conduct a pre-feasibility study.

Reconstruction of Veera Vasantharayar Mandapam (Madurai Meenakshi Temple):
- Restoration: Complete rebuilding of the historic hall at the Meenakshi Amman Temple following a destructive fire in February 2018, executed at a revised budget of ₹38.30 crore.
- Architectural Details: Features 79 newly sculpted monolithic granite pillars (each 29 feet tall incorporating lion motifs).
- Historical Context: Originally built in 1611 CE by Muthu Veerappa Nayak (brother of King Thirumalai Nayak), the mandapam houses an Early Pandya period Nandi inside a stone cistern.

China’s Mega Dam on the Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra):
- Project Details: China confirmed advancing the Yarlung Zangbo Lower Reaches Hydropower Project (60 GW planned capacity) in Tibet near the Indian border under its 15th Five-Year Plan.
- Strategic Impact: Involves constructing a 40-km diversion tunnel through the “great bend” of the river, raising downstream water flow and ecological concerns for India.
UNGA Resolution on Global Cartographic Representation:
- India voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution sponsored by Togo titled “Correct the map: rebalancing global cartographic representation and promoting equitable representation of the world’s regions, particularly Africa”.