Chief Minister Joseph Vijay returned from London on September 20, 2026, after securing investment proposals totaling Rs 15,300 crore for Tamil Nadu.
The package spans automobile components, research and development, manufacturing, renewable energy and Global Capability Centres, and could generate more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Tamil Nadu’s opposition leader K. Annamalai slammed the trip as a waste, tweeting that the United Kingdom’s growth is a mere 1% and that Indian firms such as Mahindra already dominate the market. He urged Vijay to focus on domestic industrialists in Coimbatore and Madurai instead of overseas visits.
The state’s Chief Secretary, Sanjay Patel, said the proposals will be vetted by the Investment Promotion Board and that the government remains committed to its $1.5 trillion goal by 2036. He added that the board will fast‑track approvals for projects that meet the state’s job‑creation targets.
In the village of Kattankudy, textile entrepreneur R. Kumar greets the news with a mix of hope and caution. "If these deals materialize, our small mills could finally stand up to global competition," he says, eyes fixed on the new contracts that could bring fresh capital to his shop.