Under the BharatNet project, the state government will launch TamilNet by November. The project is expected to link more than 17000 villages through high-speed broadband connectivity. It will open up a host of opportunities in rural areas, said State IT Secretary Hans Raj Verma.

“Our next wave of champions will come from tier-2, -3 and small villages. Once we give them the connectivity, they are on par with us,” said Verma at the three-day FinTERACT 2020 conference. The event envisages attracting FinTech start-ups and collaborations for the FinBlue - a Center of Excellence in Financial Technology - with global FinTech hubs from the UK, Singapore and Europe.

Verma said that Chennai has always been known as the BFSI capital of the world with all the back offices of leading institutions of the financial world in the city. The kind of talent here and throughput per employee is one of the best in the country.

FinBlue in partnership with Elcot, IT department, STPI is a fantastic example of a pioneer and visionary effort. This event will showcase the potential of the State, and India as a whole. “I appeal to all the delegates in the event to invest in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s vision is to leverage technology for making a difference in the lives of ordinary people. “In partnership with banks, in Tamil Nadu we have this year pumped in nearly Rs 15,000 crore of liquidity to the SHG members under the SHG-bank linkage programme.”

“There is a huge potential here. We can go up to Rs 30,000 crore. In this financial inclusion mission and bank-linkage programme the new start-ups will have a key role play in various aspects of financial products,” he said.