On a high-level tour of Spain and Sweden, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is leading a strategic push to attract global investment and forge development partnerships. In Barcelona, the Chief Minister held extensive interactions with members of the Indian diaspora—comprising entrepreneurs, startup mentors, and domain experts—discussing a wide range of opportunities across clean energy, environmental sustainability, bio-pharmaceuticals, deep-tech B2B marketing, sports management, MedTech, legal services, and more.

One of the key developments during the visit came in the form of a proposal from the renowned Spanish football club RCD Espanyol. The club has offered to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for training football coaches from Jharkhand, aiming to integrate the state’s sports development framework with Barcelona’s advanced sporting ecosystem. The initiative is seen as a major step towards bringing international expertise into grassroots sports development in the state.

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Another significant proposal emerged from the meeting with Dušan Ličarč, CEO and co-founder of Tesla Group a.s., who expressed interest in establishing a GIGA factory in Jharkhand. The proposed facility would focus on assembling industrial and commercial battery storage systems, mirroring the company’s operational model in Brăila, Romania. This development could mark a turning point in Jharkhand’s journey towards becoming a hub for renewable energy storage solutions and advanced manufacturing.

The interactions also saw experts suggest mapping local startups and their mentors in Jharkhand and connecting them with global incubators to create a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. Participants highlighted investment opportunities in food processing—especially in value addition of local produce like jackfruit and tomatoes—as well as in traditional medicine (specifically Ho’do-pathi), pharmaceutical R&D, biotechnology, and medical technology.

The Chief Minister assured participants of the state government’s commitment to sustained engagement with Spanish companies and institutions, proposing regular dialogues, meetings, and collaborative programmes. He also emphasised that Jharkhand has made notable progress in ease of doing business and is fully prepared to translate investment proposals into ground-level execution swiftly and efficiently.

Through this global outreach, Jharkhand is making a concerted bid to rebrand itself—not just as a land of minerals and forests, but as a destination for innovation, sustainability, and inclusive development. The conversations in Barcelona mark the beginning of a broader ambition to place Jharkhand on the international investment map.