Chief Minister Vijay Secures Rs 15,300 Crore in London Investments

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay secured investment commitments totaling between Rs 12,300 crore and Rs 15,300 crore during an official visit to the United Kingdom ending September 14. The drive, aimed at establishing Tamil Nadu as an Asian hub for advanced manufacturing and technology, is expected to create approximately 10,000 jobs. The largest commitment came from Samvardhana Motherson International Limited, which pledged Rs 11,000 crore for design, engineering, and manufacturing facilities.

Other key agreements signed through Guidance Tamil Nadu include a Rs 3,000 crore letter of intent from a European automotive component manufacturer, a Rs 1,000 crore Global Capability Centre by Ernst & Young in Chennai, and a Rs 300 crore manufacturing unit by Wilson Power Solutions in Tiruvallur. Additionally, Sweden's Sigma Technology Group agreed to expand its capability centres in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli. Vijay also met with the Hinduja Group to review a previous Rs 2,500-crore agreement and visited the Silverstone Motor Racing Circuit to flag off the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup as part of a proposal for a Motor Sports City.

Opposition leaders from the BJP and AIADMK criticized the trip, with BJP Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagendran characterizing it as a "pleasure tour" and alleging the government is presenting existing companies as new investments. Meanwhile, a planned public greeting event outside The Shard in London was cancelled after the Metropolitan Police raised safety concerns regarding large crowds. The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam subsequently urged supporters to stop attempting to meet the Chief Minister at his hotel.