The Tamil Nadu government has appointed Sivarajah Ramanathan as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tamil Nadu Start-up and Innovation Mission (TANSIM) with a mandate to enhance the start-up ecosystem in the State.
He is expected to take charge in the first week of January 2022.
Mr. Ramanathan is the founder and CEO of Nativelead Foundation, which has mentored hundreds of start-ups from tier-2 and tier-3 towns of Tamil Nadu.
It has also provided funding to innovative start-ups through its Native Angels Network and in September this year, The Chennai Angels (TCA) struck a deal with Native Angels Network to co-invest in start-ups across Tamil Nadu.
‘Specialised sector’
“Start-up is a specialised sector which requires deep knowledge, continuous interaction with youngsters and companies, and coordination with private equity, venture capital firms and other investors. This requires a person with considerable experience in the field,” V. Arun Roy, Secretary, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) department, said.
The Tamil Nadu Government is very keen that we should be on par with other States when it comes to start-ups and lot of emphasis would be given to tier-2 and tier-3, he added.
The TANSIM, also known as Start-up TN, is working towards making Tamil Nadu an innovation-driven economy. Its mission is to be the driving force for start-ups. It aims at building a strong, viable and vibrant start-up ecosystem that creates employment and develops economic growth.
Recently, through its Tamil Nadu Startup Seed Grant Fund (TANSEED), the TANSIM released a grant of ₹5 lakh each for 19 start-ups across the State.