The signature event of AMCHAM’s Tamil Nadu Chapter, ‘Redefining Digital Excellence: Tamil Nadu at the Helm,’ hosted in collaboration with the Guidance Bureau Tamil Nadu, was held on November 26th at the Le Royal Meridian, Chennai. The inaugural session began with Ms. Ranjana Khanna, Director General CEO, AMCHAM, who highlighted many ways Tamil Nadu has provided an ideal environment for U.S. companies, to not just survive, but thrive. The robust infrastructure, proactive governance, and a business-friendly approach have empowered companies to expand their footprint and deepen their engagement in India. Setting the scene, Dr. Ravi Bhatkal, Chairman – Tamil Nadu Chapter, AMCHAM and Managing Director, MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions India Pvt. Ltd., shared his insights on how critical the U.S.-India bilateral partnership is for U.S. industry in Tamil Nadu and India in general. This collaboration, coupled with a very proactive Tamil Nadu government, has contributed to Tamil Nadu’s evolution into a powerhouse in manufacturing, which is a significant percentage of the state’s economy. Tamil Nadu leads the country in manufacturing contribution to state level GDP and is the largest employer of women in the country. He mentioned that going forward, both export growth and domestic growth, can be increased through productivity improvements via industry 4.0 technologies, automation, industry- academia-government partnerships for skills development and research, and multi-
tier development across the state’s geography. Mr. Chris Hodges, U.S. Consul General in Chennai, in his special address, shared insights on the partnership between the U.S. and India which is a powerful opportunity to revolutionize industries. Combining cutting-edge academic research with industry innovation can create transformative solutions that foster growth and enhance lives.

Mr. V. Vishnu, IAS, Managing Director & CEO, Guidance Tamil Nadu Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, in his special address, not only highlighted Tamil Nadu’s remarkable achievements in leading electronic manufacturing exports, but also emphasized critical aspects of sustained economic growth. He shared about distributed growth, the state’s resilience during COVID-19, investment in future green technologies, and the unique talent pool with the lowest attrition rates in India. Mr. Vishnu emphasized Tamil Nadu’s impressive ease of doing business ranking (3rd in India) and the importance of fostering investor confidence. He also shared an overview of the Tamil Nadu Guidance Bureau’s role and reinforced the state’s commitment to nurturing investor – friendly policies, driving innovation, and creating opportunities for economic and social transformation. Ms. Gangapriya Chakraverti, Co-Chairperson – Tamil Nadu Chapter, AMCHAM and India Site Head, Managing Director, Ford Business Solutions concluded the event by expressing heartfelt gratitude to AMCHAM, the Government of Tamil Nadu, participants, and sponsors for their invaluable contributions to the success of the event. She complimented the thriving business environment in Tamil Nadu, which continues to attract and support industries with its progressive policies and opportunities and conveyed an optimistic outlook for the future, emphasizing Tamil Nadu’s position at the forefront of realizing excellence as a state.

Session 1: Smart Manufacturing and Digital Transformation featured speakers Mr. Ravi Radhakrishnan, Plant Head – Manufacturing Plant, Chennai, Dell Technologies, Mr. Anandanatarajan Venkatraman (Van), Director – Powertrain Manufacturing Engineering, Intl. Markets Group & South America, Ford and Mr. Sathish R. Managing Director, Modine Thermal Systems Pvt. Ltd. with moderator Mr. S.Sathish, Partner & National Leader for Industrial Manufacturing Sector, KPMG India Services LLP, Chennai. They discussed how a customer-centric approach would ensure affordability and speed while balancing internal costs and maintaining uncompromised quality. They discussed how to leverage digital tools, automation, and data optimization as critical drivers in a tech-driven world. The session explored the evolution of the workforce, emphasized multi-skilling, virtual training, leadership advocacy, and identifying the right skills through innovation clubs and continuous upskilling and shared insighted on the importance of an inclusive and transparent culture.

Session 2: Partnering for Progress: Industry and Academia Collaboration was moderated by Dr. Ravi M. Bhatkal, Chairman – Tamil Nadu Chapter, AMCHAM and Managing Director, MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. with Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean, Global Engagement, IIT Madras and Mr. Sudhir Kamath, Head of Finance, South Asia, Trimble. The key points raised included the importance of interdisciplinary research, creating ecosystems across the supply chain, scaling up knowledge clusters, and the potential for industry representatives to engage more proactively in curriculum boards. They emphasized on overcoming resistance to collaboration, focusing on problem-solving, and cultivating a scientific temperament from the school level. The session explored how strengthening industry-academia ties can lead to breakthroughs, enhance skills, and drive economic growth.

Session 3: GCCs Impacting Healthcare through Technology Transformation was moderated by Mr. Indusekhar Chandrasekhar, Senior Vice President – Brand, Marketing & Strategy, Thryve Digital LLP with featured speakers Ms. Sahana Dhanasekaran, Associate Vice President, Guidance Tamil Nadu Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Jayachandran Prabhakaran, Senior Vice President, Marsh India and Mr. Harish Gudi, Chief Information Officer, Optum India. The session explored the transformational role of global capability centers (GCCs) in healthcare, particularly their focus on innovation, data optimization, and risk mitigation. The importance of fostering robust communication with parent organizations, focusing on local Indian markets, and leveraging Chennai’s position as the healthcare capital of India were brought to the fore. The panel highlighted the diverse and heterogeneous talent pool, crowd learning, and how GCCs are adapting to trends to enhance service delivery, efficiency, and patient care globally.

Session 4: GCCs Emerging Technologies: Driving Strategic Change began with a keynote address by Thiru S. Nagarajan, IAS, Secretary (Expenditure), Finance Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, who highlighted Tamil Nadu’s unique positioning as a prime destination for global capability centers (GCCs). He emphasized the state’s rich and diverse talent pool, supported by an attractive industrial policy and payroll incentives, which make it a preferred choice for global companies. While acknowledging the challenge of high-quality office space, he pointed to infrastructure advancements like the Chennai Metro, CTOD, and OCRM projects as enablers for business expansion. Industry speakers Ms. Gangapriya Chakraverti, Co-Chairperson – Tamil Nadu Chapter, AMCHAM and India Site Head Managing Director, Ford Business Solutions, Mr. Manikandan Balasubramanian, Partner – GCC Consulting Practice, EY, Mr. Hariharan Manikandan, Senior Vice President, Head of Alternatives & Global Business Integration (GBI), State Street India and Mr. V.S. Sridhar, Managing Director – Chennai, Cushman & Wakefield, as the moderator, delved into the transformative potential of AI and ML, emphasizing their role in shaping the future of innovation. Speakers discussed how GCCs were evolving as innovation hubs, leveraging India’s entrepreneurial spirit and robust talent pool as distinguishing factors. The importance of moving higher up the value chain through training, upskilling, and adopting advanced technologies like AI was highlighted as key to maintaining a competitive edge. A notable focus was on bridging functional and technical expertise to realize the broader vision of AI’s impact and effectively communicate its benefits to global headquarters.

Mr. Rufus George, State Head of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, National Skill Development Corporation, gave a presentation on the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) which covered the following key aspects: Apprenticeship Journey So Far: A comprehensive review of the progress and achievements in the apprenticeship ecosystem from FY 2018-24. Apprenticeship Training Landscape: An overview of current trends and the evolving landscape of apprenticeship training in India. Key Milestones: Highlighting significant achievements under the NAPS initiative over the years.  Apprenticeship Portal Overview: A walkthrough of the portal functionalities, including establishment registration and process automation.  Minimum Prescribed Stipend: Explanation of financial incentives and stipends for apprentices as part of the program. His presentation effectively showcased the potential of apprenticeships as a tool for skill development and workforce readiness while emphasizing the ease of participation for establishments through the dedicated portal. The event was supported by the following partners: (strategic partner) Optum, (catalyst partners) Cushman & Wakefield and MacDermid Alpha, (healthcare GCC partner) Thryve Digital, (growth partners) Dell Technologies, EY and Modine and (supporting partner) Trimble.