SOUTHERN SURGE

FROM POLITICS AND INDUSTRY TO CINEMA AND SPACE DREAMS, THE 'INDIA TODAY CONCLAVE-SOUTH' IN COIMBATORE SHOWCASED THE DYNAMISM OF THE SOUTHERN STATES AND THEIR VISION FOR THE FUTURE

- Ajay Sukumaran

"Those who cannot tolerate Tamil Nadu’s growth slander the Dravidian model that is responsible for this growth. We ignore them and continue on our journey" - M.K. STALIN Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu

"I'm coming out with a new 100 km Bengaluru Business Corridor around the city. The biggest decision I have taken is 44 km of double-decker tracks...there will be a flyover with a metro running on topthe largest in the country" - D.K. SHIVAKUMAR Deputy Chief Minister, Karnataka

Can Bengaluru's new infrastructure roadmap transform the southern metropolis? Can Amaravati be the template to building new cities from the ground-up? How is the political battleground shaping up in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which go to assembly polls in 2026? What keeps southern cinema ticking? As the sixth edition of the 'India Today Conclave-South' kicked off in Coimbatore this month, a rich variety of discussions foregrounded the vibrant sweep of the peninsula, from its politics to industry to culture.