Tamil Nadu Signs Rs 11,000 Crore UK Investment Pact, 7,000 Jobs Expected

Tamil Nadu has secured an investment commitment of approximately Rs 11,000 crore from Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd, with the Memorandum of Understanding signed in London during Chief Minister Vijay's first official visit to the United Kingdom.

The agreement was signed between the company, along with its European and UK-based joint venture partners, and Guidance, Tamil Nadu. The Chief Minister's Office said the investment is expected to generate employment for around 7,000 people.

According to the CMO, the jobs will span design, engineering, manufacturing, assembling and logistics facilities.

The state government had said ahead of the trip that the UK visit was intended to deepen long-standing ties with British companies, which have maintained a presence in Tamil Nadu in engineering, financial services and technology, including manufacturing units and global capability centres. The aim was to expand the operations of firms already in the state and draw fresh investment in advanced manufacturing, automobiles and electric vehicles, electronics and global capability centres.

The visit also drew political attention after visuals of Vijay embracing actor-racer Ajith Kumar in the UK sparked a row. The DMK accused the Chief Minister of travelling to London to watch a friend's car race. DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said that while Vijay had spoken of bringing investment from London, people had seen him at the race.

The TVK dismissed the criticism. Party spokesperson Americai V Narayanan said meeting a friend during a visit was not improper, adding that Ajith is a star not only in Tamil Nadu but also in racing circles, and that such a meeting adds to the value of brand Tamil Nadu. He described the criticism as envy and "small silly talk".

Vijay waved the ceremonial green flag to start the Michelin Le Mans Cup race at Silverstone, where Ajith competed in the fifth round of the 2026 championship.

Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna, who accompanied the Chief Minister, said the trip offered new perspectives and learning towards building an international-level sports economy centred on Tamil Nadu.