SEZs in Tamil Nadu region register record export worth ₹2.2 lakh crore in 2025-26

The Special Economic Zones (SEZ) of Tamil Nadu-Anadaman and Nicobar Islands-Puducherry (TAP) Region have registered a record high export worth ₹2.2 lakh crore in the financial year 2025-26, MEPZ Development Commissioner Alex Paul Menon said on Wednesday. This is an increase from ₹2.03 lakh crore achieved during the last financial year.

Addressing a press conference on the achievements and contributions of SEZs, Mr. Menon said that annual exports have increased from ₹68,104 crore in 2014-15 to the current figure due to several cumulative measures and initiatives undertaken to ensure ease of doing business. The region boasts of 62 functional SEZs with 50, including the 43-year-old Madras Export Processing Zone (MEPZ), functioning within Tamil Nadu.

These SEZs have attracted a cumulative investment of ₹82,844 crore in 2025-26 with FDIs accounting for ₹8,677.9 crore. Recent large investments came from High Glory Footwear India Private Limited (₹2,850 crore), a subsidiary of the Taiwan-based footwear company Pou Chen, and Mylan Laboratories (₹691.21 crore), a wholly-owned subsidiary of pharma and biotech company Viatris. The 300-odd export-oriented units in these SEZs currently employ 6.26 lakh workers, a large chunk of them being women. As many as 18,888 new jobs were added this fiscal alone, he added.

Providing break-up of forex earnings from exports from the TAP region, Mr. Menon pointed out that IT and ITES continue to lead the fray with about 88.4% of the total export earnings amounting to ₹1.9 lakh crore. Exports from engineering, electronics, and hardware sectors recorded a strong growth, reaching ₹16,384 crore, while the non-leather footwear sector increased to ₹4,027 crore this fiscal compared to ₹3,669 crore last year.

MEPZ has a total of 107 functional units and 13 in the pipeline, currently employing about 40,000 workers. The SEZ has a total investment of ₹3,600 crore and has recorded ₹7,063 crore export in 2025-26.

Present at the briefing was C. Arthur Worchuiyo, Joint Development Commissioner, MEPZ.