More than 10 companies operating in the food and food sector signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government in the presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin at the recent TN Rising event held in Coimbatore, mostly to manufacture high-value food products for export.
After several posts on social media that MoUs have been signed with existing food companies that do not create skilled jobs, Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa posted on X on Thursday and Friday: “Major push by Tamil Nadu to take local iconic food brands global”; “We’re taking the next step to help our food industry as a whole.”
M. Krishnan, managing director of Sri Krishna Sweets, said the company is planning an investment of nearly ₹ 100 crore as it plans to export traditional sweets from South India. “Our sweets and savouries are made from fresh ingredients. When we send them overseas, the shelf life needs to be extended while maintaining the freshness of the product. Our export plans are still in the preliminary stage and require a lot of research. The Tamil Nadu government has taken proactive steps to bring the traditional food to the global market and create an international identity by holding the company in hand,” he said. We appreciate these support measures.
According to Raj M. Shanmugam of Coimbatore-based Apex Coco and Solar Energy Limited, with veganism taking hold in western countries, the demand for coconut milk is increasing. However, the market for value-added coconut products is dominated by players from Southeast Asian countries. “This is an opportunity for India as there is a huge demand for coconut products from tropical countries. Almost 50% of our revenue comes from exporting coconut milk and coconut oil. We plan to tap into the market and expand our plant by investing ₹350 million in phases.”
According to Suresh Kumar, CEO of Kangayam-based Podaran Foods, it is expanding its manufacturing facilities and product range, especially its milk drinks, and its export position. It plans to invest ₹310 crore over three years. This not only creates nearly 300 new jobs, but also benefits livestock farmers in rural areas.
Jegan Damodarasamy, CEO of Sree Annapoorna, said that with plans to add 20-30 more restaurants in three to four years and to enter more countries as well, the group is looking at a total investment of over ₹300 crore in the next three to four years. Of this, ₹ 150 crore will go towards setting up a centralized kitchen for which an MoU was signed recently. “Global expansion is a deep thought process that started a few years ago. We have to minimize the variations that come with human work and that require full training. The facility we plan to create will also have a training academy,” he said.
The Minister for X said Guidance TN is working with domestic food sector players and offering them single window facilitation, policy incentives and export supplies to help them penetrate globally. The next global food story may come from Coimbatore.
“MTR Foods was acquired for $100 million. Haldiram is valued at $10 billion. Why not Annapoorna? Why not Sri Krishna Sweets?” he asked.
These MOUs are not designed for small kitchens or storefronts. They are meant for industrial food production, cold chains, exports, global retail expansion and thousands of new jobs, Mr Rajaa said.
Published – 28 Nov 2025 19:46 IST
