Coimbatore: A private firm that owns 400 acres at Selakarichal Village near Sulur here has expressed interest to provide the land to set up the Tamil Nadu defence industrial corridor.

The corridor, comprising Chennai, Trichy, Coimbatore, Salem and Hosur, was inaugurated on January 20, 2019. It is expected to have new defence production facilities and promote clusters with necessary testing and certification facilities and export facilitation centres. Several private industries had committed investments up to Rs 3,123.50 crore and many, including Coimbatore-based Lakshmi Machine Works, L&T Defence and Roots Industries, made investments. Last year, the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) identified 500 acres near Sulur and Karanampettai to set up the corridor. TATA Group and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which manufactures light combat aircraft TEJAS, had approached SIPCOT to buy land to set up units.

However, the project was bogged down by the pandemic. Meanwhile, a Bangalore-based private firm approached the Coimbatore district administration to provide its land to set up the corridor at Selakarichal. “We have sent the details to Sipcot,” said district revenue officer Ramadurai Murugan.

The firm has also approached the ministry of defence.