The MEPZ Special Economic Zone (MEPZ SEZ), operating under the Department of Commerce, Government of India, continues to play a pivotal role in driving exports, investment, employment generation, and inclusive development across the Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Puducherry (TAP) Region.

  

The TAP Region today hosts 50 operational Special Economic Zones—the highest in the country—out of a total of 62 SEZs, with 3 more set to become operational in the next three years. Comprising 749 operational SEZ units, alongside 288 Export Oriented Units (EOUs), the region has established itself as a global economic powerhouse.

Key Performance Highlights:

• FY 25-26 Exports: ₹2.22 Lakh Crore

• Cumulative Employment: 6.26 Lakh

• Cumulative Investment: ₹82,844 Crore

A Phenomenal Growth Trajectory

The TAP region has demonstrated remarkable and sustained economic momentum. Annual exports skyrocketed by 226.7%, rising from ₹68,104 crore in FY 2014-15 to a record ₹2.2 lakh crore in FY 2025-26.

   

This export boom is matched by robust capital inflow, with cumulative investments doubling from ₹41,489 crore to an impressive ₹82,844 crore, showcasing a 2x growth. Notably, this investment profile is heavily supported by a strong domestic foundation amounting to ₹74,165.75 crore, complemented by ₹8,677.9 crore in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Employment generation remains a cornerstone of this success. The workforce has expanded by 118.5%, growing from 2.87 lakh to 6.27 lakh personnel—an addition of over 3.39 lakh jobs. The momentum continues, with 18,888 new jobs created in FY 2025-26 alone.

Sectoral Leaders & Major Investments

The region's export performance is anchored by the IT/ITES sector, which commands an 88.4% share of total exports, translating to approximately ₹1.9 lakh crore in FY 2025-26.

Beyond digital services, the manufacturing landscape is highly diversified. Engineering, Electronics & Hardware emerged as the leading manufacturing vertical, contributing 7.4% to the export basket with ₹16,384 crore.

Additionally, the Non-Leather Footwear sector demonstrated strong resilience and growth, increasing by 9.8% year-on-year from ₹3,669 crore to ₹4,027 crore.

This industrial engine is powered by critical zones such as MEPZ SEZ, ZOHO Estancia, World Trade Center, L&T Shipbuilding SEZ, DLF Cybercity IT SEZ, J Matadee FTWZ, and Cheyyar SEZ.

Reflecting strong global and domestic confidence, recent high-value investments further strengthen the region's industrial capacity. Notable investments include:

Name of the Unit	Investment (in ₹ Crore)
M/s. High Glory Footwear India Pvt Ltd	2,850.00
Mylan Laboratories Limited	691.21
M/s. PMI Global	643.00
M/s. Maiva Lifesciences Private Limited	626.61
M/s. TKG Taekwang India Private Limited	514.72
M/s Grand Atlantia Panapakkam SEZ Developers Private Limited	385.00
India Tindivanam Footwear India Pvt. Ltd	231.70
Paloma Turning Co Private Limited	195.75
Qualcomm India Pvt. Ltd	177.27
Illumine Industries Pvt. Ltd	120.00
M/s. State Street Corporate Services Delhi Private Limited	107.74
M/s. Rockwell Automation India Private Limited	104.91

Strategic Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Initiatives

To sustain this long-term growth momentum and provide an agile, world-class operating ecosystem for global enterprises, MEPZ SEZ has introduced path-breaking Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) administrative reforms. These initiatives streamline regulatory interfaces and guarantee exceptional turnaround times:

Same-Day Issuance of Clearances: In a bid to completely eliminate administrative delays and prevent project bottlenecks, routine clearances, regulatory adjustments, and essential operational permits are now processed with same-day issuance frameworks.

Structured and Institutionalized UAC Meetings: The Unit Approval Committees (UACs) are structured on a rigorous, predictive schedule and conducted with strict regularity. This institutionalized cadence ensures clear operational foresight, continuous performance reviews, and immediate dispute or query resolution for both developers and manufacturing units.

Expedited Timeline for Statutory Clearances: Statutory clearances and critical expansion evaluations are executed with high administrative efficiency. A vast majority of vital manufacturing setups and regulatory approvals are fully finalized and delivered within an expedited window of 5 to 10 working days, setting a high standard for public administration.

Strategic Initiatives: Social Inclusion & Skill Development

Alongside economic dominance, MEPZ has championed talent development and community welfare:

DEIBi Initiative: Promoting diversity across gender, religion, disability, and sexual orientation, gaining recognition for World Bank sponsorship.

Project Pride: A flagship transgender workforce inclusion program. A recent job fair saw 15 units participate, collecting over 168 profiles.

Women in Engineering Scholarship: Over 650 scholarships amounting to ₹65 lakh awarded to female students in Mechanical, Electrical, and Civil Engineering to strengthen manufacturing talent pipelines.

Digital Access: Facilitated the donation of 7,190 refurbished laptops and desktops to Tamil Nadu government school students.

Skill Development Centers: Established the MEPZ-CDAC IT Skill Development Centre and a Manufacturing Skill Development Centre in collaboration with IGCC & GTTI.

MEPZ Vision 2050: A Sustainable Future

Through its Vision 2050 framework, MEPZ is transforming into a progressive, future-ready business destination defined by 15 trunk infrastructure verticals. These include a state-of-the-art SCADA monitoring system, a 19 km mobility network, enhanced utility ducts, a 51.5% increase in parking capacity, and upgraded fire safety and wastewater infrastructure.

Eco-restoration is central to this vision. Significant progress has been made on the Tiruneermalai Chitteri Lake Restoration Initiative (including a 22% expanded green cover and dual-bund systems) and the Kadaperi Lake project, boosting biodiversity and climate resilience.

Furthermore, MEPZ prioritizes community health and engagement. The recently concluded 3rd Annual Health Check-Up Programme partnered with leading institutions like Dr. Rela Institute and Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital to benefit over 10,000 employees. Programs like MEPZ Run 2026, rural career guidance at Burma Colony, and local infrastructure upgrades (elevators at Sanatorium FOB, road widening) highlight an ethos of progress that extends well beyond industrial boundaries.

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TV/RJ

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