Tamil Nadu Touches Double-Digit GDP, MK Stalin Praises "Dravidian Model"

Tamil Nadu has recorded a double-digit economic growth, the highest among all the states, in 2024-25, according to new estimates released by the Government of India.

With a revised growth rate of 11.19%, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday celebrated the economic achievement, attributing it to the "Dravidian Model Government".

"Tamil Nadu's Dravidian Model Government stands tall as the only State in India to achieve double-digit economic growth," CM Stalin wrote on the social media platform X. 

"The last time this was achieved was in 2010–11 under Kalaignar (Karunandhi). Now again, it is a DMK government walking its path," he added.

கடந்த 4 ஆண்டுகளில் அரசுத் துறைகளிலும் தனியார் நிறுவனங்களிலும் எனச் சுமார் 10 லட்சம் இளைஞர்களுக்கு வேலைவாய்ப்புகளை உருவாக்கித் தந்திருக்கிறது நமது #DravidianModel அரசு!

நகராட்சி நிர்வாகம் மற்றும் குடிநீர் வழங்கல் துறையின் சார்பில் அரசு ஊழியர்களாக மக்கள் சேவையாற்ற வரும் 2,538 பேரை… pic.twitter.com/zv0e8tufWe

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 6, 2025

The revised figure marks a significant leap from the previously announced 9.69%, which was already the highest in the country. With this, Tamil Nadu becomes the only major state to touch double-digit growth post-pandemic, reaffirming its status as a national economic leader.

Mr Stalin said this growth gives renewed confidence to Tamil Nadu's ambitious goal of becoming a $1 Trillion Economy by 2030 — a vision that once invited scepticism. "What once seemed too ambitious is now well within reach," he said, citing Thirukkural 666: "Those who plan with clarity achieve their goal if they act with determination."

Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu hailed the revised growth rate as a resounding endorsement of the Chief Minister's governance. "No other state has achieved this level of growth. From 9.69% to 11.19% — we've broken our own record," he said. "It is only due to the CM's inclusive, long-term approach and effective execution across sectors that Tamil Nadu could achieve this feat — not once, but twice."

Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa described Tamil Nadu's revised growth as "unmatched by any other large state" and a testament to the DMK's governance model. "After 14 years, Tamil Nadu has once again hit double-digit growth — and on both occasions, it was under DMK rule. This is not just statistical success, but a victory for the Dravidian development model," Mr Rajaa said.

The revised 11.19% growth estimate for 2024–25 comes at a politically sensitive time, with Tamil Nadu gearing up for the 2026 Assembly polls. The ruling DMK sees this data point as both a policy validation and a political endorsement of its "everything for everyone" philosophy.

The government argues that the Dravidian model, by integrating social equity, industrial growth, welfare, and infrastructure, has delivered not just inclusion but national economic leadership.

With this, Tamil Nadu continues to position itself as a destination for investors, a model for federal economic governance, and a trailblazer in sustainable growth.

However, the key opposition AIADMK claims the seeds for this were sown during the earlier 10-year regime under it. Kovai Sathyan, AIADMK Spokesperson, said, "The ten-year AIADMK government strengthened the state's economy and had drawn investments. The ruling DMK reaps the benefits".