Investments in innovation, research and technology are crucial for sustainable economic growth and development, providing enduring solutions to the challenges faced by the state. Through the Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives (TANII) scheme, the State Planning Commission has played a key role in fostering innovation in public service delivery within the state. The aim of the scheme is to make Tamil Nadu the innovation hub of the country in citizen-centric governance practices. Since its inception in 2015, the Planning Commission has recommended close to 400 innovative projects across various government departments, for funding from the State Innovation Fund.
The Government of Tamil Nadu has established Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives (TANII) Scheme to foster innovation in public service delivery from financial year 2015-2016 onwards, with a corpus of INR 100 to 150 crores per year for funding innovation projects under TANII. Every year, two rounds of appraisal meetings are conducted during the first (April – June) and third (October – December) quarters of the financial year, in order to finalise the shelf of projects that will receive funding from TANII. The eligible agencies may share their innovative proposals round the year for consideration by the State Planning Commission.
We define Innovation as the introduction of a Process, Practice, Approach , Technique or Technology which is New or Novel to Public Service Delivery.
New Innovation proposals are invited from all Secretaries to the Government or Districts Collectors for funding under TANII. Proposals must adhere to the prescribed format.
A preliminary meeting will be conducted with the Heads of the concerned departments to examine all new schemes, gather additional information and make necessary modifications. Proposals that do not constitute an innovation are excluded from further consideration.
The State Planning Commission conducts Appraisals meetings with the concerned departments. During this evaluation, shelf of Recommended Proposals are approved by the TANII Committee. The Appraisal meetings are conducted twice a year in the first and third quarters, to decide on the funding for schemes for the year.
The Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives is steered by a High-Level Committee, to leverage their diverse expertise in guiding the execution of pioneering projects to foster a culture of innovation in governance in Tamil Nadu.
The Committee oversees the strategic planning of the funding portfolio, evaluates and recommends project proposals and ensures the effective implementation of innovative initiatives across various sectors.
The Committee is headed by the Vice-Chairman of the State Planning Commission along with Ex-Officio Members , Members (Full-time and Part-time Members) and Member Secretary of the State Planning Commission.
| Vice Chairman | Dr. J. Jeyaranjan |
| Full-Time Member | Prof. R. Srinivasan |
| Additional Full-Time Member | Dr. M. Vijayabaskar |
| Part-Time Members | Prof. Sultan Ahmed Ismail |
| Thiru. K. Deenabandu, IAS (Retd.) | |
| Dr. N. Ezhilan, MLA | |
| Ms. Mallika Srinivasan | |
| Dr. J. Amalorpavanathan | |
| Dr. G.Sivaraman | |
| Padma Shri Dr. Nartaki Nataraj | |
| Ex-Officio Members | Thiru. Ramesh Chand Meena, I.A.S., |
| Thiru.T.Udayachandran, I.A.S., | |
| Member Secretary | Tmt. Sudha S. IFS |
TANII Proforma Document:
To be filled in by the Department and submitted along with the detailed
Proposal for TANII Appraisal.
G.O 69 | TANII Revised Guidelines:
Detailed Guidelines for Identification and Implementation of Innovative Scheme, dated 12.05.2023
Who can submit an innovation project for TANII Funding?
● State Government Departments
● Local Bodies (through concerned Administrative Department)
● State Public Sector Undertakings
● Statutory Boards formed by the State
● State Co-operative Institutions (through Apex State Level Co-operative Federation)
● State Universities
● Societies formed by the State
● Projects executed by eligible agencies in collaborations with NGOs of repute
Review of TANII Funded Projects
In order to monitor and evaluate the output and outcomes of the innovative interventions, periodic review of the projects recommended and funded are done by the State Planning Commission. The Review of TANII funded schemes with Heads of Departments are conducted periodically on the physical and financial progress of the projects. Appropriate follow-ups , Field visits and Consultative meetings are undertaken to address challenges in the innovation projects.
Impact Evaluation of TANII Funded Projects
Evaluation is crucial to understand the scheme outcomes and it’s impact on socio-economical and Human development process. With nearly 400 innovation projects in public service delivery within its portfolio, efforts to assess the impact of these successful initiatives are currently in progress. Success Stories documentation , aimed at capturing the insights gained from these endeavors and facilitating their expansion as needed to enhance the efficiency of governance in public service delivery.