Minister Dr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan stated that the establishment of TNTTFC will empower Tamil Nadu to position itself on the global innovation map, advancing capabilities across key sectors like AI, semiconductors, and biotechnology.
Chennai, July 17, 2025 — Tamil Nadu marked a major milestone in its innovation journey with the inauguration of the Tamil Nadu Technology Transfer Facilitation Centre (TNTTFC) at the iTNT Hub, Anna University. The Centre was formally launched by Dr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology & Digital Services, who emphasized its global ambition: “This will enable Tamil Nadu to compete at an international level in fields like AI, semiconductors, biotechnology, clean energy, etc.”
Funded under the Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives (TANII), TNTTFC aims to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial application, especially in DeepTech domains. The Minister expressed confidence that the Centre would reinforce Tamil Nadu’s leadership in technology-led economic growth.
Dr. J. Jeyaranjan, Executive Vice Chairman of the State Planning Commission, highlighted the Centre’s role in supporting commercialization: “It will actively support startups, MSMEs and researchers in scaling and commercializing innovative technologies through structured funding, training and mentorship programs.”
Thiru. Brajendra Navnit, I.A.S., Principal Secretary to Government, IT&DS Department, elaborated on the Centre’s end-to-end support: “In addition to Technology Transfer, TNTTFC will offer comprehensive support for IP management, empower researchers to transform IP into successful ventures, and provide seed grants for proof-of-concept validation, prototype development, and early market testing.”
Ms. Vanitha Venugopal, CEO of iTNT Hub, underscored the Centre’s role in industry-academia collaboration: “This will facilitate the execution of joint projects, contract research, and consulting engagements that address industry needs while advancing scientific discovery.”
TNTTFC will also host sensitization programs, Research 2 Revenue (R2R) initiatives, and innovation spotlights to help innovators build scalable businesses from research outcomes.
