Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday inked five major MoUs in London within hours of landing in the UK, marking the second leg of his TN Rising European Investment Mission. The agreements span aerospace and defence, renewable energy, maritime technology, textiles, and higher education, aimed at propelling Tamil Naduās growth and positioning the state as a global investment hub.
Stalin also held high-level talks with executives of Rolls-Royce, which expressed interest in expanding its operations in Hosur with an MRO facility, R&D and training centre, and a major scale-up of its IAMPL joint venture. The move aligns with Tamil Naduās plan to strengthen its Defence Industrial Corridor and become a hub for advanced aerospace manufacturing.
Among the agreements signed were:
Lloydās List Intelligence (Seasearcher): Expansion of its Global Capability Centre in Chennai, expected to create 200 jobs by FY26, boosting maritime risk analytics, shipping, and port management sectors.
Wilson Power and Distribution Technologies: A ā¹300 crore investment in a new transformer manufacturing facility to support renewable energy projects, creating 543 jobs.
Britannia RFID Technologies India: Plans for a ā¹520 crore RFID tag manufacturing unit in Tiruppur and Namakkal, generating 550 jobs and enhancing garment sector traceability.
Ecole Intuit Lab: Collaboration with Sakthi Excellence Academy to establish a design-focused higher education institution in Coimbatore, strengthening the creative economy.
University of Exeter: Academic partnership to promote joint research, faculty exchanges, and knowledge sharing.
Stalin posted on X, calling the agreements “six strategic wins for Tamil Nadu,” adding that the partnerships will “boost renewable energy, enhance export competitiveness, strengthen shipping and maritime initiatives, and empower youth with niche skills.”
The official release said these partnerships are among the first tangible outcomes of the IndiaāUK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) framework. The deals complement the 26 MoUs signed in Germany, worth over ā¹7,000 crore, during the first leg of Stalinās European mission.
The state delegation also met several top UK firms to explore opportunities in shipbuilding, defence tech, and future industries, with Tamil Nadu seeking to achieve its goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030.