Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s visit to England has been a successful trip aimed at elevating Tamil Nadu as a global investment hub, the state government said today.

In an official press release, the government said the Chief Minister travelled to England on September 10 to attract more investments, as part of its vision to make Tamil Nadu a 1.5 trillion-dollar economy by 2036.

The government said that through the VETTRI Tamil Nadu Investors Conclave 2026, 97 MoUs worth Rs 67,452 crore with 1,06,998 jobs were signed, and in the first 100 days of the government, over Rs 1 lakh crore in investments have been attracted.

During the London visit on September 12, the Chief Minister met Indian Ambassador to the UK Kumaran Periasamy and discussed opportunities arising from the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

On September 14 in London, MoUs and Letters of Intent totalling Rs 15,300 crore with potential to create over 10,000 jobs were signed in the presence of the Chief Minister. Among the key MoUs signed, Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd, along with its European and British joint-venture partners, committed to an investment of approximately Rs 11,000 crore to set up chassis, engineering, manufacturing, assembly, and warehousing facilities, generating 7,000 jobs. Adding to the automotive push, a leading European auto component manufacturer submitted a Letter of Intent to Guidance Tamil Nadu, stating Tamil Nadu as its preferred destination for its proposed Rs.3,000 crore investment in India.

In the services and technology domain, Ernst & Young (EY) inked an agreement to establish a Global Capability Centre (GCC) under the Build-Operate-Transform-Transfer (BOTT) model along the newly announced Mount-Poonamallee GCC corridor in Chennai, involving an investment of Rs 1,000 crore and generating 2,000 high-value jobs.

Further expanding the tech footprint, Swedish Sigma Technology Group will expand its GCC presence in Tiruchirappalli and Chennai through its Indian arm Sreeya Solutions, generating 600 high-value jobs in embedded systems and electrification, while UK-based Wilson Power Solutions will invest Rs 300 crore in Tiruvallur district, creating 400 employment opportunities.

The Chief Minister also met Hinduja Group executives, including Ashok Leyland MD Dheeraj Hinduja and Finolex Industries MD Prakash P. Chabria, who briefed him on the progress of the Rs 2,500 crore MoU signed during the VETTRI conclave. The group expressed interest in increasing investments in renewable energy, particularly wind power, and boosting exports of commercial vehicles made in Tamil Nadu.

The Chief Minister also visited the famed Silverstone Motor Racing Circuit, in line with his announcement under Rule 110 on September 3 to build a world-class Motor Sports City in Tamil Nadu. He inspected the race control, circuit and safety systems and flagged off the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup Car Race in which actor and racer Ajith Kumar participated.

The release added that detailed discussions were held on raw material procurement for TN jewellery and textile makers, a UK space and defence delegation visit to Hosur, a NEMSA delegation visit to Chennai in October, and skill development partnerships in financial services.

The Chief Minister thanked the Tamil diaspora in the UK for their warm reception and expressed regret that a planned interaction was denied permission by London Police. (ANI)