Narendra Modi reviews Tamil Nadu start-ups during Chennai Metro Rail ride

Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned an inaugural Chennai Metro Rail journey into an impromptu showcase of domestic enterprise on Sunday, reviewing pitches and technology demonstrations directly from Tamil Nadu start-up founders.

Travelling alongside Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on the route between Porur Bypass and Poonamallee, Modi met over 15 entrepreneurs who boarded the train carrying project files, models, and presentation boards. While initial onlookers mistook the group for transit authority officials, they were in fact young founders demonstrating how indigenous innovation is tackling national infrastructure, aviation efficiency, and the space economy.

Each entrepreneur had roughly two minutes to brief the Prime Minister on their technology and how it could serve broader development goals.

Tracking infrastructure from orbit

Among those presenting was Vignesh Kandasamy, founder and chief executive of Tirunelveli-based Thazhal Geospatial Analytics. His firm uses satellite-based data to monitor construction milestones, detect structural risks, and curb project delays.

"We explained about Thazhal’s space technology solutions and how satellite-based assessment can track physical construction and its progress, delays, and risk, which helps to get greater transparency and accountability to the nation," Kandasamy said.

Modi promptly questioned whether the platform could be applied to inspect roads and bridges across the country. Kandasamy confirmed it could, pointing as well to ongoing environmental monitoring projects his team has run with the state government to assess lakes and coastal mangroves.

Aviation self-reliance and airport efficiency

Modi also engaged with Chennai-based airport technology firm Blunav, which builds artificial intelligence platforms to streamline terminal operations and passenger movement. The start-up, which came through an Airports Authority of India initiative, has already deployed its ground operations system at Chennai International Airport.

Blunav chief executive Suseendar Marimuthu said the Prime Minister asked how digital systems could make airports run more smoothly and bring air travel within reach of more citizens.

"The discussion also touched upon data sovereignty, self-reliance in aviation technology, and the role of indigenous innovation in strengthening India’s civil aviation ecosystem and positioning it as a global exporter of aviation technology," Marimuthu said.

Expanding the space economy

The conversation turned to commercial space capabilities with Ramesh Kumar, co-founder and chief executive of Grahaa Space. The firm is assembling an earth-observation constellation of nano-satellites capable of streaming near real-time geospatial video.

Kumar showed the Prime Minister imagery and telemetry from Grahaa's SOLARAS nano-satellite, which reached low-Earth orbit aboard Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket in July, alongside data from an orbital launch attempt conducted from Brazil.

Modi urged the company to scale up its ambitions, assuring Kumar that the central government will continue backing emerging private players to accelerate India’s growing share of the global space economy.