When Ananthan Ayyasamy returned to his hometown in Tenkasi in South Tamil Nadu after more than two decades in the US, his mission was clear — to offer youngsters in the city all that he missed out on growing up in the region.
Contesting the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Polls as a BJP candidate from Tenkasi district’s Vasudevanallur constituency, his poll promise is to transform the district situated in the foothills of the Western Ghats into the ‘Silicon Valley of India’ and ‘Estonia of Asia’.
“About 30 per cent of Tenkasi’s population is in agriculture-related jobs that produce low wages and income. Of the 15 lakh population here, nearly 3 lakh are women who depend on beedi rolling for their livelihood. There are only about 10,000 jobs that are in the organised sector,” he told businessline. Our mission is to create 1 lakh high-tech jobs in the district, and attract industries to Tenkasi to reduce migration to cities such as Chennai, Bengaluru, he said.
He added that the goal is not just to create organised sector jobs in the district, but also help entrepreneurs so that they can create innovations. The mission has already kickstarted, says Ayyasamy.
In collaboration with fellow Tenkasian Sridhar Vembu, he has also launched a semiconductor design venture called Tenkasi Semiconductors (TENSEMI), which is currently working on chip design for edge AI computing and network applications. The initiative is expected to bring out its first chip within a year’s time.
Tourism is another area of focus to rejuvenate the local economy, he adds.
“At least 20 lakh people visit or travel through Tenkasi for tourism every year. But there is hardly a decent hotel or a good restaurant here,” he said while mentioning plans to build a theme park, multiple hotels and reconstruct dams into day-picnic spots.
outsider tag
Ayyasamy firmly shuns the outsider tag in this polls where his opponents include E Raja for the DMK and R Amutha Rani of the TVK.
Recalling his childhood marred by caste violence and poverty in Tenkasi to become an Engineering Director at Intel in the US, he says his return is driven by a desire to give back. “I have been living here for the last four years. I have travelled to every village in the district and taken several Central government schemes to the people,” he said,
He believes the current political heads of Tenkasi have not delivered on their promises. “The people of Tenkasi district have completely been let down. The Chief Minister visited Tenkasi in November and made 10 promises for the district. This was in addition to the 13 promises that were already made in 2021. Nothing has been fulfilled,” he said,
On how his entry could shape young people’s perception of politics, Ayyasamy said it takes thick skin to deal with the constant setbacks and issues that come with entering politics. “If someone like me can get elected, it could serve as an inspiration for youngsters from executive backgrounds to enter public life,” he said.
Published on April 8, 2026