Tamil Nadu’s first regional centre of Tamil Nadu Technology (iTNT) Hub was inaugurated in Trichy at the Anna University campus on the Trichy–Pudukottai highway by state IT and digital services minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan.

As the first such hub outside Chennai, it aims to support startups and researchers in deep-tech areas including AI, robotics, quantum computing, cybersecurity, climate tech, and smart cities. The initiative is part of the government’s push to decentralize innovation and empower talent across tier-II and tier-III cities. A similar hub is planned for Madurai.

Over 40 engineering colleges from Trichy, Pudukottai, Tiruvarur, and Thanjavur have partnered with the hub via the JIGSAW platform. So far, 687 researchers and patent applicants have been onboarded. The hub is backed by the Union Ministry of Electronics and IT, the Tamil Nadu government, and academic institutions, and will operate under the state’s IT and Digital Services Department to drive inclusive innovation.