The economic and social development of the States of India is not uniform; wide regional disparities exist, and the western and southern regions are better off. Tamil Nadu is geographically the eleventh largest State. It stands second in contribution to GDP and third highest in per capita income, investment, FDI and industrial output, and it has been ranked the most economically free state by the Economic Freedom.
1. Performance and Highlights
Kerala tops in literacy, IMR and MMR. In recent years Tamil Nadu has been far ahead in health, higher education, growth of MSMEs, poverty alleviation and employment generation. The reason for its success is extending social policies to most of the population: the Public Distribution System, midday meals and public health infrastructure have near universal coverage.
- Growth of SGDP has been among the fastest in India since 2005; poverty reduction has been faster than in many States.
- Second largest contributor to India's GDP; ranks 3rd in the Human Development Index (UNDP-2015).
- Ranks 3rd in invested capital (₹2.92 lakh crore) and value of total industrial output (₹6.19 lakh crore).
- Ranks first in number of factories (17% share) and industrial workers (16% share).
- Placed third in the health index (after Kerala and Punjab) in the NITI AAYOG report Healthy States, Progressive India (2018).
- Highest Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education; largest number of engineering colleges; major hub for renewable energy.
- Highest Credit Deposit Ratio in commercial and cooperative banks; first on investment proposals filed by MSMEs.