Thu Mar 06 13:03:03 UTC 2025: **Salem Seeks State Funding for Defence Industrial Estate**
SALEM, March 6, 2025 – The Salem District Small-Scale and Tiny Industries Association (SADISSTIA) is urging the Tamil Nadu state government to allocate ₹2,000 crore to acquire 1,600 acres of unused land within the Salem Steel Plant. This land is intended to establish a defence industrial estate, leveraging Salem’s inclusion in the Union Government’s 2019 Defence Corridor initiative.
While other steel plants across India have dedicated industrial estates supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the Salem Steel Plant currently lacks such a facility. SADISSTIA president K. Mariappan stated that the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) has agreed to transfer the land, contingent on the state government’s payment. The association believes developing this area, potentially through the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT), would foster growth of hundreds of SMEs and larger defence-related industries.
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