Tamil Nadu Announces Motor Sports City, Olympic City, and New Secretariat Complex

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has announced plans to build a Motor Sports City with a Formula racing track and youth training facilities, along with a separate Olympic City aimed at producing more gold medal winners for the state. The two projects are part of the government's larger push to build modern sports infrastructure and boost athlete development in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu will set up a Motor Sports City with facilities to host Formula racing events and train young motorsport talent, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced on Thursday. Speaking at the TN Legislative Assembly, he also announced that the state will also build a separate Olympic City in Chennai, aimed at producing more gold medal winners for Tamil Nadu at national and international competitions.

The announcement is part of the state government's broader plan to build world-class sports infrastructure and give athletes and young sporting talent better access to training and competition facilities.

What the Motor Sports City will offer

The Motor Sports City will have a state-of-the-art motorsports complex with supporting infrastructure to host Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3 and Formula 4 races. It will also provide training facilities to help identify and develop young motorsport talent from across the state.

The project is expected to attract leading motor racing and car manufacturing companies to Tamil Nadu, along with new opportunities in tourism, employment and related economic activity.

Olympic City to focus on athlete training

The Olympic City, planned in Chennai, will have international-standard sports arenas, a High Performance Training Centre and accommodation facilities for sportspersons and coaches. The aim is to give athletes better training and competition facilities so they can go on to compete, and win medals, at the national and international level.

Officials said the two projects, taken together, reflect the state's effort to build a stronger sporting ecosystem, from grassroots training to competition-ready infrastructure, while also generating jobs and boosting tourism in the regions where they come up.

New TN Secretariat

The sports announcements come alongside other major projects unveiled by the Tamil Nadu government. The state will build a new Legislative Assembly and Secretariat complex in Chennai, at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore. Spanning 20 lakh sq ft, the complex will bring all government departments together at a single location, with modern fire safety systems, disability access, security infrastructure and adequate parking.

Same Digital RCs, Driving Licence

Separately, the government also announced that digital driving licences and vehicle registration certificates (RCs) will be rolled out across Tamil Nadu from September 15. Applicants will be able to download these documents online instead of waiting for chip-based cards to arrive by post, with QR codes added to help authorities verify authenticity and curb fake documents. The state also plans to gradually introduce an "Anywhere Registration/Licensing" system, allowing people to access transport services at any Regional Transport Office regardless of location.