A webinar was held today by the Tuticorin Chamber of commerce & Industry, on the topic “What are the critical challenges face by Thoothukudi?” Featuring six citizens from different walks of life but bound by their shared concern and commitment to the district, the webinar saw several facets of the present situation in Thoothukudi being explored and some fresh suggestions put forward on placing the district back on the path to accelerated growth. Mr. Velshankar outlined the enormous potential of Thoothukudi as a business hub, highlighting the robust infrastructure in place within the district. However, he pointed out that growth was stagnating in the district due to the drying up of fresh investments and pausing of existing projects. Mr. Paramasivam touched upon the how the presence of large industries led to improve opportunities for employment and small businesses. In their absence. Ms Nancy, a social activist, spoke about the challenges faced by the fishing community in Thoothukudi. She shared the positive progress made by the community with the aid of social projects implemented by businesses, especially the women. Also in attendance were other business leaders, including Mr. K. Ganesan and Mr. ST. Thiagarajan of the Thoothukudi Contractors Association. Ms. Dhanalakshmi, an NGO leader spoke about the challenges by women in rural Thoothukudi and how community projects implemented by businesses had helped them develop livelihoods and thus have a greater say in family affairs. The participants also called upon the State Government to actively work with the well-wishers of the district to urgently implement confidence building measures and draw investments back to the district. The event concluded with a vote of thanks to all the speakers and participants by Mr. Theeramaharajan of the Tuticorin Chamber of commerce & Industry. About 519 people registered for the event which was held for over an hour on Saturday.