 "Tamil Nadu bags investments worth ₹3,201 crore from German majors")
Tamil Nadu is turning out to be a hotspot for European investors. Chief Minister M K Stalin, who is on a weeklong visit to Germany and the UK, has attracted investments to the tune of ₹3,201 crore in the first two days. These investments have the potential to create more than 6,250 direct jobs.
The state team also had discussions with luxury automobile giant BMW group regarding expansion of its existing Chennai unit, especially in the electric vehicle (EV) segment. This is amid fears of Tamil Nadu losing around $3.93 billion of exports in 2025-26 due to higher US tariffs.
The committed investments include a ₹2,000 crore manufacturing unit by Munich-headquartered Knorr-Bremse, one of the largest braking systems and railway component makers in the world, providing employment to around 3,500 people. The industry major has signed a deal to set up a state-of-the-art facility for railway doors and braking systems in Kancheepuram and Chennai in the state.
German wind turbine manufacturer and renewable energy (RE) technology company Nordex group also committed to plans to expand its operations in Tamil Nadu with an investment of ₹1,000 crore, creating 2,500 new jobs. This expansion reinforces Tamil Nadu’s leadership in RE manufacturing and green industrialisation, the state government said in a statement.
Mulfingen-based ebm-papst, a leading manufacturer of electric motors and fans, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand its global capability centre (GCC) in Chennai, and scale up its manufacturing in Tamil Nadu with an investment of ₹201 crore over the next five years, providing employment to around 250 people. Stalin is accompanied by a team led by industries minister T R B Rajaa and secretary V Arun Roy.
While leaving for Germany on Saturday evening, Stalin addressed the media at the Chennai airport where he said that so far he has visited the US, Spain, Japan, and the UAE, and secured investments worth ₹18,498 crore through 36 MoUs, which may create employment for 30,037 people.
On Sunday, state investment body Guidance Tamil Nadu reportedly said that the US tariffs may wipe out $3.93 billion in its export numbers during 2025-26 (FY26), out of which, the textile sector may take a hit of $1.62 billion.