Vijay’s London meetings bring fresh investment interest in automobiles and renewable energy as Tamil Nadu steps up its global outreach….reports India Daily News Desk
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay held a series of high-level meetings with Indian corporate leaders and global manufacturing executives in London, securing fresh investment interest in the state’s automotive and renewable energy sectors as part of his first official overseas visit.
A high-powered delegation led by Vijay met prominent industrialists, including Dheeraj Hinduja, Executive Chairman of Ashok Leyland, Prakash P. Chhabria, Executive Chairman of Finolex Industries Ltd, and Director Ritu Hinduja Chhabria, as the state stepped up efforts to attract global investments and expand its industrial base.
According to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Hinduja briefed Vijay on the progress of investments by the Hinduja Group in Tamil Nadu and the follow-up measures being taken after the group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth Rs 2,500 crore at the ‘VETTRI’ Tamil Nadu Investors’ Conference in August 2026.
The Hinduja Group reiterated its commitment to continued investment and business expansion in Tamil Nadu and expressed interest in increasing its presence in the state’s renewable energy sector, particularly wind energy.
The discussions also focused on strengthening Tamil Nadu’s position as a major automotive manufacturing and export hub. The delegation discussed measures to scale up exports of commercial vehicles manufactured in the state and further expand the global reach of Tamil Nadu’s automotive industry.
The meeting was attended by Kumaran Periasamy, IFS, Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Nidhi Mani Tripathi, IAS, Minister (Economic), High Commission of India, London, and senior officials of the Tamil Nadu government.
In a separate development, a leading European vehicle spare parts manufacturer communicated its preference for Tamil Nadu as the location for a proposed Rs 3,000 crore greenfield investment in India.
The company submitted a letter of intent to Deepak Jacob, IAS, Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu government’s guiding agency, in the presence of Chief Minister Vijay in London.
The state government assured the company of all necessary support and cooperation to facilitate the proposed investment and establish its operations in Tamil Nadu.
The fresh commitments came amid Vijay’s wider UK outreach aimed at attracting investments in advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles, electronics, renewable energy and Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
The Tamil Nadu government has said the overseas visit is intended to generate large-scale employment opportunities and strengthen the state’s position as an investment-friendly destination in Asia.
The visit has, however, also drawn criticism from the Opposition. BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy questioned the transparency of the Chief Minister’s overseas engagements and alleged that details of investment-related meetings had not been adequately disclosed during the initial days of the tour.
“This is the fifth day for CM Vijay, and there is no information about any meeting meant for attracting investments or any MoU. I think lying like this, to make people fools, is wrong,” Thirupathy told ANI.
He also criticised the Chief Minister’s participation in a motor racing event featuring actor and racing driver Ajith Kumar, suggesting that Vijay could have openly described the trip as a personal break.
“CM Vijay could have very easily said that he wanted a break after 100 days of his governance and that he wanted to have a pleasure trip. Nobody is going to oppose it. Why does he unnecessarily lie like this?” he said.
Vijay’s visit to the UK also included a high-profile stop at the Silverstone Motor Racing Circuit in England. The Chief Minister inspected the track’s infrastructure, including its layout and safety systems, before flagging off a race in the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup, in which Ajith Kumar participated.
The event was attended by Minister for Public Works and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu Member Secretary Meghanatha Reddy and senior government officials.
The Silverstone visit also connected with Vijay’s plans for the state’s growing motorsport and automotive ecosystem. He has previously announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly a proposal to establish a world-class “Motor Sports City”, building on the state’s established strengths in automobile and electric vehicle manufacturing.
Ajith has publicly welcomed the proposal, and his meeting with Vijay at Silverstone attracted considerable attention given their long association with Tamil cinema.
The actor also thanked Vijay for taking time from his official responsibilities to attend the event and expressed his happiness over the Chief Minister’s political journey.
Vijay’s UK tour comes after what the Tamil Nadu government has described as a major economic milestone for his administration. Within its first 100 days in office, the state signed MoUs involving investments exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore at the ‘VETTRI Tamil Nadu Investors’ Conference 2026.
The government has positioned the investment drive as part of its broader strategy to attract international companies, expand manufacturing capacity and create employment while strengthening Tamil Nadu’s role in emerging sectors such as EVs, electronics, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing.
The latest investment proposals in London are expected to add further momentum to that effort, particularly in the automotive and clean-energy sectors.
