Tamil Nadu mulling fresh policy on cyber security, says IT Minister

CHENNAI:  Information Technology Minister Mano Thangaraj on Thursday said Tamil Nadu is considering bringing out a fresh policy on cyber security. Speaking during the second edition of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and The New Indian Express Start-Up Stars Awards here, Thangaraj said that FICCI has requested to change the current cyber security policy, which was implemented in 2020 by the then-ruling AIADMK regime.

He highlighted the need for start-ups to register on the IT Nanban portal, which enables all IT/ITES companies in Tamil Nadu to interact with the state and contribute to policy-making, adding that Tamil Nadu has over 3,000 start-ups but the majority are not registered with the portal. Addressing start-ups, he also asked them to target tier-2 and tier-3 cities rather than focussing on Chennai as the former could be cost-effective.

Thangaraj further noted that the IT department and FICCI’s plan to set up a centre of excellence to focus on skilling people, highlighting Chief Minister MK Stalin’s focus to bridge the digital divide for the under-privileged. The minister also said that the global recession may not have any impact on the state’s IT exports.

He spoke about the government’s plan to launch an office-learning application to skill 10 lakh office-goers in the state. Thangaraj highlighted that TN is working on paperless files. This would cut down the carbon footprint and save around 35 tonnes of paper on an average being used in a single district. Thangaraj also said that a total of 235 services of the state government are provided online.

The minister later felicitated 25 start-up winners. The idea behind the awards is to turn the state into a hub for the start-up ecosystem, said Dr G S K Velu, chairman, Trivitron Group and chairman, FICCI Tamil Nadu. Vignesh Kumar, senior vice-president of The New Indian Express, highlighted various government schemes and how they benefit people. Consul for Trade and Economic affairs, Israel, Joseph Abraham highlighted the growth in trade relations between the two countries in the last 30 years and emphasised the need to focus on innovation projects.

Virsa Perkins, Economic and Political Policy advisor of US consulate here said that start-ups have resulted in the economic recovery post the pandemic. She also said US-India companies are driving technology innovation to new heights.