Chennai: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), in partnership with Guidance Tamil Nadu, on Thursday launched Innovation-TN, the country's first state-level start-up and innovation dashboard, aimed at showcasing the State's entrepreneurial ecosystem to investors, industries, and policymakers.

Tamil Nadu, which has nearly 19,000 start-ups generating over 2.2 lakh jobs and attracting more than ₹1.2 lakh crore in investments, is positioning itself as a national hub for innovation. The state also leads the country with 228 active incubators and enabling organisations, officials said.

Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa said the launch marked a “pivotal step” in strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem. “It reflects our government's vision to position Tamil Nadu as the national leader in innovation, advanced manufacturing and inclusive economic growth, ensuring opportunities across every district, not just in metropolitan hubs,” he said.

IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti said the dashboard would help policymakers design targeted initiatives based on the sectoral strengths of districts while also showcasing start-ups to national and global investors, including the Tamil diaspora.

The platform has been conceptualised by the Centre for Research on Start-ups and Risk Financing (CREST), an Institute of Eminence Research Centre at IIT Madras, along with IIT Madras-incubated start-up YNOS Venture Engine.

According to Guidance Tamil Nadu MD and CEO Dr. Darez Ahamed, the platform will serve as a “catalyst for collaboration” between industries, start-ups, R&D institutions and academia, thereby enabling inclusive and sustainable growth.