The story
Electronics manufacturing came to Sriperumbudur in the mid-2000s when global handset and electronics firms set up plants in special economic zones near Chennai. The phone plants built a large trained workforce, much of it young women from nearby districts. After a slowdown in the 2010s, the production-linked incentive scheme brought a new wave of iPhone and component plants. Tamil Nadu is now India's leading electronics-exporting state.
In numbers
Tamil Nadu's Industries Minister projected the state's 2025-26 electronics exports to exceed $18 billion, well over 40% of India's projected $45 billion (a projection, not final data).
India's electronics exports could hit $45bn; Tamil Nadu's share over $18bn — WION · 2026Electronics accounts for 28.1% of Tamil Nadu's total exports, while readymade garments have declined to just over 10%.
India's electronics exports could hit $45bn; Tamil Nadu's share over $18bn — WION · 2026
Ways in for a newcomer
- Supply of packaging, plastics, die-cut parts and cables to assembly plants
- Worker hostels, canteens and transport services
- SMT job-work and repair/refurbishment
- Component trading and testing labs
Problems the cluster faces
- Thin margins and heavy dependence on a few global brands
- Imported components and supply-chain risk
- Labour welfare and housing scrutiny
- Competition from other states for new plants
Businesses to start here
USB Cable Manufacturing →LED Bulb Assembly Unit →Personal Computer Assembly →Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) Unit →