During the visit of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to London, engineering giant Rolls-Royce has signalled a major expansion in the southern state, as it secured six high-profile investment commitments from UK-based firms across aerospace, clean energy, maritime intelligence and textile technology.
On the second leg of the Tamil Nadu Rising European visit, Stalin led a series of high-level meetings in the United Kingdom, culminating in the signing of MoUs with organisations spanning defence and aerospace, shipbuilding intelligence, renewable energy, textile technology and design.
The state government in a statement said that MoUs signed on Wednesday represent long-term strategic steps for Tamil Nadu in sectors of high value and future relevance in positioning the state as a national and global leader across niche domains.
The highlight of the day was the meeting with Rolls-Royce, one of the world’s foremost aerospace and defence technology firms, the statement read.
The company expressed strong interest in expanding its operations in Tamil Nadu, with plans for an MRO facility, an R&D and training centre, and a significant expansion of its IAMPL joint venture in Hosur, it said.
It stated that with Tamil Nadu being home to one of India’s two Defence Industrial Corridors, this engagement with Rolls-Royce illustrates the state’s potential as a hub for advanced aerospace manufacturing.
Besides Rolls Royce, the state government said that Lloyd’s List Intelligence (Seasearcher) signed an MoU to expand its Global Capability Centre in Chennai, creating 200 jobs by FY 2026.
“As a world leader in maritime risk management, insurance and vessel tracking analytics, Lloyd’s expansion will significantly bolster Tamil Nadu’s capabilities in shipbuilding, port management, and maritime technology. Their flagship Seasearcher platform provides real-time visibility into global vessel movements, ownership structures, and port activities — insights that will be invaluable for unlocking Tamil Nadu’s vast Blue Economy potential,” it said.
Even Wilson Power & Distribution Technologies announced plans to establish a new electric transformer manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu.
“With over 80–90 per cent of its output going to renewable energy projects, the Rs. 300 crore investment and 543 new jobs will directly contribute to Tamil Nadu’s ambitions of becoming a green energy manufacturing capital and reinforce its clean-tech value chain,” it stated.
The government also said that strengthening Tamil Nadu’s position as India’s leading textile export hub, Britannia RFID Technologies India, a subsidiary of UK-based Britannia Garment Packaging, will invest Rs 520 crore to set up a high-capacity RFID tag manufacturing unit in Tiruppur and Namakkal.
“The project, expected to create 550 jobs, will support traceability and supply chain digitisation in the garment sector, enhancing export competitiveness,” it stated.
It also said that on the education front, Ecole Intuit Lab entered into a partnership with Sakthi Excellence Academy to launch a design-focused higher education institution in Coimbatore.
“With the creative economy becoming a key driver of innovation and branding, this initiative will nurture the next generation of creative professionals in Tamil Nadu,” it said.
“The University of Exeter also signed an MoU with Tamil Nadu to enhance academic collaboration. The partnership will focus on joint research, faculty exchange programmes, and fostering cross-border knowledge transfer in priority disciplines,” it said.
“These strategic MoUs are also among the first few tangible examples of Tamil Nadu leveraging the India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to deepen sectoral collaboration and attract high-quality international investments. Several additional meetings were held during the day to explore more opportunities emerging from the FTA framework,” it added.
Also Read: GST Meeting: FM Sitharaman Announces ZERO GST, BIG Reduction For Middle Class, Check Here
Aishwarya is a journalism graduate with over three years of experience thriving in the buzzing corporate media world. She’s got a knack for decoding business news, tracking the twists and turns of the stock market, covering the masala of the entertainment world, and sometimes her stories come with just the right sprinkle of political commentary. She has worked with several organizations, interned at ZEE and gained professional skills at TV9 and News24, And now is learning and writing at NewsX, she’s no stranger to the newsroom hustle. Her storytelling style is fast-paced, creative, and perfectly tailored to connect with both the platform and its audience. Moto: Approaching every story from the reader’s point of view, backing up her insights with solid facts.
Always bold with her opinions, she also never misses the chance to weave in expert voices, keeping things balanced and insightful. In short, Aishwarya brings a fresh, sharp, and fact-driven voice to every story she touches.
