Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said on Monday that an international university was looking to establish a campus in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking at an industry event, he said he attended a meeting with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in the morning, wherein officials of the university had participated. “When I was the Finance Minister, I had announced in my Budget speech that a knowledge city would be developed through international collaboration,” Mr. Thiaga Rajan said, speaking at the 7th Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) Smart Datacentres and Cloud Infrastructure Conclave 2025.

An official release earlier in the day said Diane Smith-Gander, Chancellor, University of Western Australia, and Pro-Vice Chancellor, met Mr. Stalin and held discussions. “The knowledge city will come up on 2,000 acres, where we will have a smart sustainable hub of academia, tech, fintech, and living arrangements. The meeting this morning was part of this project,” Mr. Thiaga Rajan said.

He pointed out that Tamil Nadu’s gross enrolment ratio in higher education had increased to over 50% in the last four years, from 45%-46% when the DMK assumed office.

“Tamil Nadu’s century-long commitment to inclusive education and human capital development continues to draw the interest of leading international agencies. The discussion focused on exploring opportunities to strengthen collaboration in education, research, and innovation between Tamil Nadu and Western Australia,” Mr. Thiaga Rajan later said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Mr. Thiaga Rajan also released a knowledge report prepared by ASSOCHAM and audit firm PwC.

 

The report says Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai, is emerging as a significant data centre hub in India. The Chennai data centre market is projected to grow from 202.43 MW in 2025 to 551.15 MW by 2030, driven by the city’s strategic location, robust infrastructure, and supportive government policies.

Media: The Hindu