A dinner in Delhi paves way for Kerala-Tamil Nadu economic partnership plan
2 weeks after Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa and his Kerala counterpart P Rajeev talked in Delhi, top delegations from both states have met in Chennai
What began as a casual dinner-table exchange in New Delhi earlier this month has accelerated into an ambitious state-to-state collaboration effort — an upcoming economic partnership between Tamil Nadu and Kerala aimed at building shared industrial capacity, digital governance models and cross-border logistics ecosystems.
Barely two weeks after a conversation between the industries ministers of both states, TRB Rajaa of Tamil Nadu and P Rajeev of Kerala, held on November 11 at the close of the Udyog Samagam 2025 conference, senior ministers and top officials from both states convened in Chennai for the first formal round of talks on November 25.
Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa said the effort is part of a larger shift in how states approach development. “Our Chief Minister, M K Stalin, has always believed that cooperation between strong states creates stronger outcomes for the people of India on the whole… This effort is a model for inter-state cooperation that is collaborative, positive and focused on results,” he said.
According to the Tamil Nadu industries department, the scope of the emerging partnership is broad. Rajaa said the talks with Kerala involve “exploring various partnerships, like startups, AI, multimodal parks and other investment and job opportunities via tourism…”
“We will continue to explore the possibilities of working together on R&D, multimodal logistics parks adjoining the border… tourism opportunities and industrial parks,” he said.
Rajaa’s Kerala counterpart, P Rajeev, told The Indian Express that his state is looking forward to the collaboration. “We have discussed the scope of multiple sectors, including a collaboration through certain Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KELTRON) projects, and a number of startup ideas from Tamil Nadu that they proposed,” Rajeev said.
Even as discussions expand, with just a few months to go for Assembly elections, Tamil Nadu moved quickly to draw a boundary around one sensitive issue — mining.
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The Tamil Nadu government has clearly conveyed that no mining whatsoever is possible and that the state is governed by an existing ban framework with conditions currently in force, and hence, there can be no rare earth mining whatsoever.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
