NDTV is set to bring the state’s biggest political voices onto a single platform at the NDTV Tamil Nadu Summit, scheduled to be held on January 30, 2026, in Chennai.

The summit is expected to set the tone for the first major political conversation ahead of the 2026 polls, placing government and opposition leaders face-to-face at a time when the state’s political choices are drawing national attention.

According to a press release, the summit will open with a keynote address by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who will reflect on governance priorities, economic direction and the state’s political trajectory. Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami will headline key opposition sessions, bringing the government’s performance under sharp political scrutiny as the principal challenger in the upcoming elections.

The day-long conclave will see senior leaders from the ruling DMK government take the stage, including Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Industries Minister Dr. T.R.B. Rajaa, IT Minister P.T.R. Palanivel Rajan, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and Health Minister Ma. Subramaniyan. Together, they are expected to outline the government’s record and its vision across sectors ranging from industry and technology to education and healthcare.

Opposition and national political voices will also feature prominently, with participants including Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, DMK MP and Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, and senior leaders from across the AIADMK, BJP and Congress such as Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, H. Raja, Kovai Sathyan and Laxmi Ramachandran. The line-up aims to ensure a broad and contested political spectrum, reflecting the diversity of views shaping Tamil Nadu’s electoral landscape.

One of the key highlights of the summit will be a special evening conversation with Kamal Haasan, actor, political leader and cultural icon, focusing on cinema, politics and the enduring legacy of the Dravidian movement. This will be followed by a forward-looking dialogue with Udhayanidhi Stalin on the future of Dravidian politics and leadership in the state.

Throughout the day, NDTV will anchor discussions on the Dravidian economic model, industrial and investment strategies, education and skills, healthcare, social justice, women in politics and the evolving nature of electoral politics in Tamil Nadu. Policymakers, administrators and public intellectuals, including IT Secretary Brijendra Navneet, Guidance Tamil Nadu MD Darez Ahmed, economist Surjit Bhalla, public health expert Dr. Saumya Swaminathan and senior journalist N. Ram, will add policy depth and institutional perspective to the debates.

Commenting on NDTV’s editorial focus, Managing Editor Shiv Aroor said the summit places Tamil Nadu’s biggest political questions directly before voters, reinforcing the network’s voter-first approach in the South. Executive Editor T.M. Veeraraghav added that Tamil Nadu has long shaped India’s political imagination and that the summit reflects NDTV’s sustained commitment to serious journalism that understands the region’s influence.

The NDTV Tamil Nadu Summit will be broadcast live across the NDTV Network and its digital platforms, marking the formal launch of NDTV’s comprehensive on-ground coverage of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.