Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR)

A long note, after a lot of reflection, and before a short break…

Distinguished Lecture Series in the United Kingdom | II. Oxford The second engagement in the series took place at Somerville College, @UniofOxford, with a Distinguished Lecture and Fireside Conversation on "Our Living Constitution: Why India's Founding Vision Still Matters." The Constitution endures not because it has remained unchanged, but because it has evolved while remaining anchored in its foundational values of justice, liberty, equality, fraternity, secularism, and federalism. Yet there remains much to be done if we are to fully realise the vision of the Constituent Assembly. Credit to @JindalGlobalUNI for bringing together this distinguished lecture series and creating a valuable platform for dialogue on issues of constitutional and democratic significance.

Distinguished Lecture Series in the United Kingdom | I. Cambridge It was a pleasure to open this lecture series at Christ's College, @Cambridge_Uni, as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series organised by @JindalGlobalUNI. The discussion explored "AI and the Future of Democracy: Can Institutions Keep Up?"—a subject that is rapidly moving from a technological debate to a fundamental question of democratic governance. While AI presents new challenges to democratic institutions, in many ways it can also improve governance, strengthen public service delivery, and thereby strengthen citizens' faith in democracy. During my tenure as Tamil Nadu's Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, we made meaningful progress in harnessing AI to improve governance and deliver better outcomes for citizens. The thoughtful engagement from students, scholars, alumni and members of the wider academic community made for a stimulating discussion on one of the defining public policy challenges of our time.

Impact After Term | 15 : TVA's Tamil Digital Library — Bringing Tamil's Civilisational Knowledge to the Digital Age Established by Kalaignar in 2001 to enable the Tamil language to thrive in the Internet era and promote Tamil learning across the world, the Tamil Virtual Academy has spearheaded several pioneering digital initiatives. Among its most significant has been the Tamil Digital Library—created to preserve centuries of Tamil literature, manuscripts, archival records and cultural resources in digital form, while making them freely accessible to students, researchers and Tamil communities worldwide. Following the formation of the DMK Government in 2021, the Tamil Digital Library underwent a significant transformation. As Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management, Dr. PTR allocated ₹96.65 lakh in the 2022–23 Budget to accelerate the digitisation of rare books, manuscripts and archival collections. After assuming charge as Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, he oversaw the next phase of its expansion, broadening both its scale and public accessibility. Today, the Tamil Digital Library hosts over one lakh rare books, manuscripts, journals and historical records. Nearly 19.89 lakh pages have been digitised, including over eight lakh palm-leaf manuscript pages, thousands of rare photographs and hundreds of hours of archival audio-visual material—creating one of the largest digital knowledge repositories dedicated to an Indian language. The initiative also placed a strong emphasis on accessibility. With an allocation of ₹1 crore for the Inclusive Digital Library, access was expanded for persons with visual impairments. During Dr. PTR's tenure as Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, 12.85 lakh pages were converted using OCR technology, while 1.30 lakh pages were made available in accessible formats such as DOC, EPUB, DAISY and Braille-compatible editions. The initiative was further expanded through a series of dedicated digital knowledge platforms, including Tamilar Thagaval Attruppadai, the Digital Cultural Atlas and Kalaignar Karuvoolam. During this period, the complete digitised works of 38 eminent Tamil scholars, literary figures and leaders were also made publicly accessible, alongside thematic digital collections preserving Tamil Nadu's literary, political, social and cultural history. The impact has been substantial. Website visits increased from 1.25 crore in 2021 to over 17.25 crore by 2026, with more than 13.27 crore visits recorded during Dr. PTR's tenure, reflecting the growing global use of these digital resources. The Tamil Digital Library has transformed centuries of Tamil knowledge into a living digital resource for future generations.

Impact After Term | 14 : Turning Observation into Action — Expanding the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme to 1,350 Additional Students in Madurai Corporation Schools Sometimes, meaningful public policy begins with a simple observation. In August 2023, while inaugurating the second phase of the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme in Madurai district, Dr. @ptrmadurai interacted with Vishva, a Class VII student at the Government Kallar School in Muthupatti. During the interaction, he realised that while students up to Class V were covered under the scheme, many older students studying on the same campus continued to begin their school day without breakfast. Having himself studied in a boarding school, Dr. PTR understood the discomfort this could create among students and resolved that every child studying on the same campus should benefit from the scheme. After learning that 28 of Madurai Corporation's 64 schools had primary and upper-grade students studying on the same campus, Dr. PTR immediately requested the Corporation to pass a resolution extending breakfast support to all students in these schools, without placing any additional financial burden on the Corporation. He also directed officials to estimate the additional expenditure and personally mobilised CSR support, enabling the expansion to be implemented across all 28 schools within just 22 days. Today, an additional 1,350 students from Classes VI to XII receive breakfast every school day under this initiative. The programme continued with the same vendors, ensuring uniform quality of meals while also providing sufficient food for teaching and non-teaching staff. The success of the Madurai model was later reflected in the DMK's 2026 Election Manifesto, which included expanding the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme as a statewide commitment. Dr. PTR was a member of the manifesto drafting committee. What began with a simple observation evolved into a practical policy intervention—demonstrating how attentive leadership can strengthen an existing government programme, extend its reach, and improve the lives of hundreds more children without imposing an additional burden on the public exchequer. — Admin Team

The bonuses of my trip to Kathmandu☺️☺️ 1) Catching up with 2 REC Trichy classmates after 39 years, and meeting one's son who is a highly qualified surgeon! 2) Visit to Lord Pashupatinath along with a research analyst who considerately acted as my guide

Finally made it back to the Golf Course today, after almost 8 months - and played 9 holes, 6 over! Happy day indeed🙂🙂🙂

Delighted to see my friend and classmate take office as the 31st Chief of Army Staff of India. I wish him an impactful tenure that will cap his decades of distinguished service.

Delighted to visit Nepal after 40+ years to deliver the keynote address at this gathering of South Asian dignitaries & academics, & 17 youth delegates. A chance to learn from diverse perspectives on our mutual problems of climate change & mitigating the effects of related events

Thought provoking article by the distingushed economist Dr. Anoop Singh which we discussed in Delhi last evening. Around the world, improved fiscal management and enhanced execution efficiency are the burning needs of all governments at all levels I was often accused of having a "corporate" attitude when I stressed the need for managing finances professionally, and improving the execution capabilites of all departments. In fact, bringing "corporate"-level professionalism and performance management should be encouraged, not resisted... What happens when public debt stops buying progress? bt.sg/hsg5

Impact After Term | 13 : iTNT Hub — Scaling Tamil Nadu's Deep Tech Ecosystem (Part 2) Establishing iTNT Hub was only the first step. The larger vision was to ensure that Tamil Nadu's emerging Deep Tech ecosystem extended beyond Chennai, enabling innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs across the State to participate in the technologies shaping the future. Under the leadership of Dr. PTR as Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, iTNT Hub expanded through regional centres in Tiruchirappalli, Madurai and Coimbatore. By bringing world-class infrastructure, mentoring, industry partnerships and access to investment closer to Tier-II and Tier-III cities, the initiative laid the foundation for a more decentralised innovation ecosystem. To strengthen early-stage Deep Tech entrepreneurship, the FOUNDATION Fund was launched, through which the first five startups received ₹53 lakh in seed funding. The Deep Tech Hardware Product Design Scheme further supported indigenous hardware innovation by providing grants of up to ₹15 lakh for product design and development. Recognising that innovation achieves its greatest value only when research reaches the marketplace, the Tamil Nadu Technology Transfer Facilitation Centre (TNTTFC) was established in July 2025. Through patent facilitation, IP management, Innovation Spotlight and the Research2Revenue programme, the initiative has already enabled more than 60 patent filings while helping researchers translate ideas into commercially viable technologies. Announced by Dr. PTR in the Legislative Assembly in June 2024 and successfully held on 30 July 2025, the Innovate in TN IP Conclave strengthened Tamil Nadu's intellectual property ecosystem. Bringing together organisations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Indian Patent Office, NASSCOM, C-DAC, Bosch and Mahindra & Mahindra, the conclave showcased 16 emerging technologies, facilitated four technology transfers to industry, and connected 44 researchers and startups with iTNT Hub's pre-incubation and acceleration programmes. During this period, iTNT Hub also expanded Tamil Nadu's global innovation network through collaborations with leading universities, research institutions and industry partners in India and abroad. Partnerships with organisations such as the University of Melbourne, Rutgers University, Bosch, Amazon Web Services, Rolls-Royce, C-DAC and others opened new opportunities for technology collaboration, industry engagement and global market access for startups. These initiatives culminated in the launch of the Tamil Nadu Deep Tech Startup Policy at UmagineTN 2026, providing the State with its first comprehensive policy framework dedicated to accelerating Deep Tech innovation, strengthening research commercialisation and building globally competitive technology enterprises. Together, these initiatives transformed iTNT Hub from an innovation platform into a comprehensive Deep Tech ecosystem—connecting research, entrepreneurship, industry, investment and public policy. In doing so, they strengthened Tamil Nadu's position as one of India's leading destinations for frontier technology and innovation. — Admin Team

A friend recently forwarded me a WhatsApp message explaining how to access government services through the 'Namma Arasu' WhatsApp chatbot, asking, "Wasn't this launched during your tenure?" I must admit, it was immensely satisfying. When I launched Namma Arasu on 8 January 2026 at #UmagineTN2026, it was one among several digital governance initiatives undertaken by the DMK Government, under the leadership of Hon'ble Thiru @mkstalin, to make government services simpler, more accessible and truly citizen-centric. As Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, I was pleased to launch this platform as another step towards bringing government services directly to people's fingertips. In its first phase, Namma Arasu brought together 51 essential government services from 16 departments, enabling citizens to access certificates, make utility payments, avail local body services and use a range of other public services through a simple WhatsApp conversation. The platform was designed to expand progressively, with additional departments and services being added over time. It is gratifying to see the platform continue to reach people through everyday conversations and word of mouth. Governments and office bearers may change, but the true success of a public initiative lies in its continued relevance and usefulness to the citizens it was created to serve. That, to me, is the most meaningful measure of impact. 📲 Access Namma Arasu on WhatsApp: +91 78452 52525

Impact After Term | 12 : iTNT Hub — Laying the Foundation for Tamil Nadu's Deep Tech Ecosystem (Part 1) As global technology leadership increasingly shifts towards Artificial Intelligence and other Deep Tech sectors, Tamil Nadu recognised the need to move beyond traditional IT services and build an innovation ecosystem capable of transforming research, talent and technology into globally competitive enterprises. Recognising this opportunity and the immense potential of Tamil Nadu's highly skilled youth, Dr. @ptrmadurai, as Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management, announced the establishment of the i-Tamil Nadu Technology (iTNT) Hub in the 2022–23 Budget with an allocation of ₹54.61 crore. The objective was to create a dedicated institutional platform that could accelerate Deep Tech innovation and entrepreneurship in the State. Launched by Hon'ble Chief Minister Thiru @mkstalin on 15 May 2023, iTNT Hub was established as India's first dedicated innovation platform focused on Deep Tech and Emerging Technologies. Through initiatives such as BEACON, PATHFINDER, iAccelerate and the JIGSAW innovation framework, the Hub brought together government, academia, industry, investors and startups while providing access to advanced infrastructure including Fab Labs, 3D Printing facilities, Industry 4.0 tools and specialised technology resources. In doing so, it helped connect research, industry and capital, enabling ideas to evolve into scalable products and enterprises. The impact has been substantial. iTNT Hub has supported more than 2,800 startups, connected nearly 7,000 researchers, facilitated partnerships with over 200 institutions, established collaborations with more than 80 incubation centres—including 20 international partnerships—and enabled over 10,000 entrepreneurs to benefit from its ecosystem. Beyond supporting startups, iTNT Hub has helped create the foundations of a statewide Deep Tech ecosystem. By strengthening the pathways from innovation to enterprise creation, it has positioned Tamil Nadu to compete in the technologies that will shape the future global economy. — Admin Team

Impact After Term | 11 : UMAGINE TN — Platform to Connect Global Technology Trends with Tamil Nadu's Talent Ecosystem As technology, artificial intelligence and innovation became major drivers of the global economy, the DMK Government led by Thiru. @mkstalin envisioned positioning Tamil Nadu as a leading hub for technology, innovation and knowledge-driven growth. To translate that vision into action, UMAGINE TN was conceived as a global technology and innovation summit that would bring together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers, industry leaders, startups, students and innovators on a common platform. As Finance and Human Resources Management Minister, Dr. @ptrmadurai played a key role in enabling this initiative by securing the financial support required to launch UMAGINE, paving the way for its inaugural edition in 2023, which proved to be a major success, attracting more than 19,000 registered participants. After assuming charge as Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, he led its expansion into one of India's most significant technology and innovation platforms. Through the 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions, UMAGINE TN continued to grow in scale and influence, attracting over 55,000 registered participants, nearly 460 speakers and more than 150 conference sessions. The summit showcased emerging sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, Deep Tech, Quantum Computing, Climate Technology, Cyber Security, Digital Governance, AVGC-XR and Startup Innovation, while strengthening collaboration among government, industry, academia, investors and entrepreneurs. Initiatives such as the iTNT Innovation Arena, Startup Grand Challenge, Investor Connect Programmes, Product Launches and Deep-Tech Startup Showcases created new opportunities for startups to access investment, markets and industry networks. Thousands of students, innovators and technology professionals were also able to directly engage with leading experts, industry leaders and institutions, helping bridge the gap between global technological developments and Tamil Nadu's talent ecosystem. The 2026 edition introduced UMAGINE DX, extending technology conversations beyond the conference venue to 59 colleges across 20 districts and reaching more than 10,000 students. The summit also facilitated investment commitments worth ₹9,900 crore, laying the foundation for approximately 4,200 direct jobs. It further expanded UMAGINE's scope by spotlighting the creative economy, with dedicated discussions on film, music, animation, visual effects, gaming, digital creativity and language technologies, highlighting the growing convergence of technology and creative industries. Conducted successfully for four consecutive years, UMAGINE TN has emerged as one of India's leading technology summits and secured a place on the global technology conference calendar. By connecting global expertise with local talent and enterprise, it has helped strengthen Tamil Nadu's position as a premier destination for technology, innovation and investment. — Admin Team

Impact After Term | 10 : Ensuring Dignified Living for 396 Families Through Affordable Housing | Subramaniapuram TNUHDB Housing Complex Access to safe, secure, and dignified housing is one of the most important foundations of social justice and inclusive development. For decades, hundreds of families in Ward 77, Subramaniapuram, many of them sanitation workers, lived in inadequate housing with limited access to basic amenities and quality living conditions. Recognising the need for a permanent solution, Dr. @ptrmadurai began advocating for modern housing for these families soon after being elected MLA for Madurai Central in 2016, and continued to pursue the demand throughout his tenure in the Opposition. Due to his sustained advocacy, the project was announced by the AIADMK Government in 2018. However, no financial allocation was made and the proposal remained largely on paper. Following the formation of the DMK Government in 2021, Dr. PTR, as Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management, ensured that the long-pending project received the necessary financial support. Backed by an investment of ₹62.68 crore, construction commenced in August 2023. Originally conceived to benefit 250 families, the project was subsequently expanded through further efforts to accommodate 396 families. The completed residential complex was inaugurated on 10 February 2026 and stands as Madurai's first government-supported high-rise affordable housing complex with lift facilities. The nine-storey development includes vehicle parking, children's play areas, and other essential amenities designed to provide a safe and dignified living environment. The first phase of allotments has already been completed, with orders issued to 223 beneficiary families. What began as a long-standing demand raised on behalf of residents was ultimately transformed into a modern housing community, providing hundreds of families with improved living conditions, better sanitation, and a more secure future. The project stands as a testament to Dr PTR's sustained commitment to addressing the needs of his constituents and converting long-pending public demands into lasting outcomes. — Admin Team

She is NOT the IT Minister, you dimwits! Can't even get the portfolio of current ministers right...no wonder you slandered the previous minister.... "India's first voice and trusted network" 🤣🤣🤣

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ During my tenure as IT Minister, I had no role in IT promotions. Sole responsibility was with this Minister's Department of Industries and Investment Promotion. How could the IT Minister have demanded anything? So who is lying here - the Minister, or @SouthMatters ?

தொடர் பயணத்தில் இருந்தபோதும், சமீபத்தில் தமிழ்நாடு அரசு வெளியிட்டுள்ள வெள்ளை அறிக்கை குறித்து விமான நிலையத்தில் புதிய தலைமுறைக்கு பேட்டியளித்தேன். 2021ஆம் ஆண்டு நான் நிதியமைச்சராக இருந்தபோது வெளியிடப்பட்ட வெள்ளை அறிக்கைக்கும் தற்போதைய அறிக்கைக்கும் இடையிலான அடிப்படை வேறுபாடுகளை சுட்டிக்காட்டியதோடு, நிதி நிலையில் ஏற்பட்ட முன்னேற்றம் தானாக நிகழ்ந்ததல்ல; கழக ஆட்சியின் முதல் இரண்டு ஆண்டுகளில் நாங்கள் மேற்கொண்ட திட்டமிட்ட சீர்திருத்தங்களின் விளைவு என்பதை, தரவுகளின் அடிப்படையில் எவருடனும் விவாதிக்கத் தயார் என்பதை தெரிவித்தேன். மேலும், கட்டமைப்பு ரீதியான மாற்றங்களால் மட்டுமே நீடித்த முன்னேற்றத்தை உருவாக்க முடியும் என்பதையும் வலியுறுத்தி, அதிகாரிகள் புதிய அரசை தவறாக வழிநடத்த அனுமதிக்கக் கூடாது என அறிவுறுத்தினேன்.

From the Northeast of the US to the Southwest of Australia😁 Happy to reconnect with my friends who are MLAs in Western Australia last weekend at a place I've never been before - Albany, the oldest city in WA which will celebrate it's 200th Anniversary this December..