Overview
- Sivarajah Ramanathan resigned as Mission Director and CEO of StartupTN, with a relieving order issued on June 23, 2026, and the government accepting his departure.
- The state has given Industries Commissioner L. Nirmalraj full additional charge of StartupTN until further orders, but no permanent successor has been named.
- The leadership gap creates uncertainty over administration of state-backed instruments such as TANSEED, TANFUND and the SC/ST Startup Fund that support early-stage entrepreneurs.
- Under Ramanathan’s tenure, StartupTN grew the number of DPIIT-recognised startups in Tamil Nadu from about 2,032 in 2021 to more than 14,700 by 2026 and expanded hubs into tier-2 and regional cities.
- The exit follows the newly elected TVK government’s review of prior administrations’ initiatives and could slow programme decisions for startups unless a permanent appointment is made promptly.