# As Tamil Nadu prepares for an electoral battle, its southern districts are trying to shed the image stuck to them.

*business · news · 2026-04-07 · The Hindu*

## Key points

- VinFast has established an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Thoothukudi district recently.
- Thoothukudi port has started the tendering process for an outer harbour to berth bigger vessels.
- Ramanathapuram now ranks ninth in Tamil Nadu for paddy cultivation area coverage.
- One-third of the IT workforce in Bengaluru or Chennai originates from Tamil Nadu's southern districts.
- A vision document proposes each Tamil Nadu region should target a $1 trillion economy by 2047.

**Companies:** VinFast, Tamil Nadu Power Generation Corporation, Honeywell Technology Solutions
**Countries:** India

[Read the full story on The Hindu](https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/southern-districts-once-known-as-a-laggard-seek-to-shed-the-bad-image/article70835417.ece)

---

Canonical: https://newsio.io/n/e3ddaf19-5e6f-405f-a938-564f0c363a54/as-tamil-nadu-prepares-for-an-electoral-battle-its-southern-districts-are-trying
Summarized by Newsio from The Hindu. https://newsio.io/how-it-works