Latest news with #SmartDatacentersandCloudInfrastructureConclave2025
New Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Australian university comes calling, likely to open Indian campus in Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI: The University of Western Australia (UWA), one of Australia's renowned institutions, is planning to establish a branch campus in Tamil Nadu — a decision poised to deepen educational and diplomatic ties between the two countries. The move follows high-level discussions held between UWA Chancellor Diane Smith-Gander and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in Chennai on Monday. The campus proposal also includes Maharashtra, with both states identified as high-performing economies ripe for international academic partnerships. The decision to set up a branch campus in Maharashtra was recently announced at the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) held in Mumbai. 'Subject to University Grants Commission (UGC) and UWA Senate approval, the University of Western Australia intends to establish branch campuses in both Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, which are among the top-performing state economies in India,' said Smith-Gander. Once it materialises, UWA will become the first international university to set up its campus in TN UWA's Indian campuses are expected to offer a suite of UG and PG degrees, particularly in STEM, business, and creative fields, with the latter led by UWA's Conservatorium of Music. The initiative complements TN's 'Knowledge City' project, which aims to transform the state into a hub for global education and cutting-edge research. At the seventh Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India Smart Datacenters and Cloud Infrastructure Conclave 2025 here on Monday, IT Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan highlighted the state's discussions with international universities. Thiaga Rajan, who spearheaded the Knowledge City vision during his tenure as finance minister, described the recent dialogue with UWA officials as a 'significant step forward'.
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
International university looking to set up campus in Tamil Nadu, says Palanivel Thiaga Rajan
Tamil Nadu Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said on Monday (May 5, 2025) that an international university is looking to set up a campus in Tamil Nadu. Speaking at an industry event, the Minister said he attended a meeting with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday, wherein officials from the university had participated. 'When I was Finance Minister, in my Budget speech, I had announced that a knowledge city would be developed through international collaboration,' Mr. Thiaga Rajan said, addressing the 7th Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) Smart Datacenters and Cloud Infrastructure Conclave 2025, with the theme, 'Empowering Global Digital Change: Tamil Nadu's Data & Cloud Vision'. 'The knowledge city will come up in 2,000 acres, where we will have a smart sustainable hub of academia, tech, fintech, and living arrangements. The university meeting this morning was part of this discussion,' he said. Mr. Thiaga Rajan, however, did not mention the name of the university. An official note from the State government earlier in the day said Diane Smith-Gander, Chancellor, University of Western Australia, and Jennifer Howell, Pro-Vice Chancellor, met Mr. Stalin and held discussions. Mr. Thiaga Rajan also pointed out that Tamil Nadu's gross enrolment ratio in higher education has increased to over 50% in the last four years, from around 45-46%, when the DMK government assumed office. This was enabled particularly through programmes that incentivised unprivileged girls from the government schools to join higher education, he said. Mr. Thiaga Rajan said one of the key strengths of Tamil Nadu is its human capital, and along with it an overall development makes the State an attractive investment destination. 'I think Tamil Nadu will be well-positioned as the innovation hub. We have a lot of data, data centres, and many talented people, and these are the building blocks for innovation and AI,' he said. Knowledge report released Mr. Thiaga Rajan also released a knowledge report by ASSOCHAM and audit firm PwC. As per the knowledge report, Tamil Nadu, particularly 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, at a compounded annual growth rate of 22.18%. This growth is driven by the city's strategic location, robust infrastructure, and supportive government policies. The Tamil Nadu Data Centre Policy 2021 provides incentives such as tax benefits, land subsidies, and power tariff concessions, further boosting the market, it said. Surajit Chatterjee, Managing Director, Data Centre, India, CapitaLand Investment and Co- Chair, ASSOCHAM National Council on Data Centres, Max Parry, Head - Business Development, Equinix APAC, Ashok Mysore, President, CtrlS Datacenters Ltd, Jatinder Singh Pabla, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, STT GDC India and Co-Chair, ASSOCHAM National Council on Data Centers, among others, spoke at the event.
