On his first leg of the European tour to scout for investments, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday presided over the signing of MoUs for Rs 3201 crore with three German corporates, besides holding talks with a high-level team of auto major BMW for expansion of its operations in the state.
Arriving at Düsseldorf on the second day of his visit to Germany after completing his engagements in Cologne, the Chief Minister was received by officials of the Rhine-Westphalia State.
Under the MoU with Knorr Bremse, the company will invest Rs 2000 crore to set up facilities in Kancheepuram district and Chennai for manufacturing ultra-modern Railway doors and Brakes. This is expected to provide employment opportunities to 3500 persons, an official release here said. The Nordex conglomerate, globally acclaimed in manufacturing windmills, will expand its unit at Tiruvallur with an investment of Rs 1000 crore to provide employment to 2500 persons. Further, EBM-Papst, engaged in the production of electric motors and fans, reputed for electronically commutated technology, will establish its offshore Global Capability Centre in Chennai at a cost of Rs 201 crore in the next five years, generating employment for 250 persons. Later, Stalin held discussions with the high-level delegation of BMW on expanding its future electric vehicles division at its existing facility in the Chengalpattu district.
Earlier on Sunday, he reached out to the Tamil diaspora in Germany at Cologne, appealing to the expatriate community to invest in their motherland, Tamil Nadu, and extend whatever help they could to promote industrialisation and business opportunities.
“Even if you are running a small business, try to launch it in Tamil Nadu. If you are working at a big corporate or industrial house, motivate your employers to invest in the state by explaining the abundant opportunities available in Tamil Nadu,” he said, addressing the gathering at Cologne, late on Sunday evening.
Sporting the traditional Tamil dress code of a dhoti and a sleeveless shirt with a long towel, the Chief Minister said, “With the firm hope that your brother Stalin is the Chief Minister, you have the right to invest in the state. Requests come wherever I go. But here I make a request. With sincere love and as your brother, I want you to extend all possible assistance for the growth of Tamil Nadu. Like me, you too might want Tamil Nadu to become a developed state like the countries you live in.”
He also appealed to them to help in the development of their native villages and the schools they have studied, by helping the poor children to pursue their studies. “Wherever you might go in this world, for heaven’s sake, do not forget your roots, be connected to Tamil and Tamil Nadu.”