Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin begins week-long tour of Germany and the UK to attract investments, strengthen diaspora ties, and push the state’s trillion-dollar vision.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday embarked on a week-long official tour of Germany and the United Kingdom, aiming to boost foreign investments and deepen engagement with the global Tamil diaspora.
Stalin, who departed from Chennai on an Emirates Airlines flight via Dubai, will first stop in Germany before heading to the UK. Ahead of departure, he told reporters that his visit was a “mission to attract new investments and secure agreements” that would contribute to Tamil Nadu’s economic growth. He is scheduled to return on September 8.
Since assuming office in 2021, the DMK government claims to have secured investments worth ₹10.62 lakh crore through 922 MoUs, generating more than 32 lakh jobs. Stalin highlighted that his previous foreign tours — covering the US, Spain, Japan, the UAE, and Singapore — led to 36 MoUs, 23 of which are already under implementation with companies beginning production in Tamil Nadu.
During his current visit, the Chief Minister will attend the Non-Resident Tamil Indians Association – Europe meet in Cologne on August 31, followed by the ‘Great Tamil Dream’ event hosted by the diaspora. Both events are expected to serve as platforms for wooing investors and strengthening Tamil cultural bonds.
After completing engagements in Germany, Stalin will travel to the UK, where on September 2 and 3 he will meet entrepreneurs at the University of Cambridge. On September 4, he is scheduled to speak at Oxford University during the unveiling of a Periyar portrait, besides participating in welfare programmes organised by Tamil diaspora groups. He will also attend cultural and community events in London on September 6 before returning to Chennai.
In response to criticism from AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami about frequent foreign tours, Stalin defended his approach, saying his trips were “planned missions, not mere tours,” unlike his predecessor’s. He emphasised that each journey has yielded concrete results, with signed agreements translating into active investments.
The Chief Minister reiterated his government’s ambition of transforming Tamil Nadu into a trillion-dollar economy, noting that international investor summits and overseas visits form a critical part of this long-term strategy.
