Stalin returns from Europe with Rs 15,516-cr investments for TN; Oppn plays it down

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin returned from his week-long trip to Germany and the United Kingdom on Monday (September8), declaring it as the “most fruitful” investment mission he has ever undertaken.

Stalin said the state had signed 33 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 15,516 crore during the visit, which are expected to generate over 17,600 jobs.

Also read: TN CM Stalin embarks on week-long Germany-UK tour to attract investments

‘Most fruitful trip ever’

The agreements include 26 MoUs in Germany valued at Rs 7,020 crore, projected to create 15,320 jobs, and seven in the UK worth Rs 8,496 crore, with employment potential for 2,293 people.

The deals span sectors including manufacturing, renewable energy, logistics, and education, with partnerships involving firms such as Wilson Power, Britannia RFID, Rolls-Royce, and the University of Exeter.

Addressing the press upon his return, Stalin lauded Industries Minister TRB Raja for driving the investment push and accused his critics of being unable to digest his success. “This was the most fruitful trip ever. No other state has achieved this kind of global response,” Stalin said.

Also read: Tamil Nadu, in particular, holds significant appeal for America: MK Stalin

All spectacle, no substance, says Opposition

The AIADMK, however, claimed Stalin’s overseas trip was more spectacle than substance. Edappadi K Palaniswami alleged that most of the MoUs signed in Germany were follow-ups to agreements initiated during the AIADMK regime, and insisted that Stalin was repackaging old deals.

“Only one MoU signed in Germany is new; the rest are continuations from our government,” Palaniswami told reporters.

The BJP, too, joined the attack. BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan dismissed the visit as a “political stunt”.

BJP state chief Nainar Nagendran demanded a white paper to clarify how many of the investments announced during Stalin’s foreign visits had actually materialised. “The CM must show proof of outcomes from previous trips before making fresh claims,” Nagendran said.

Also read: Watch: Stalin takes time out for evening bicycle ride amid busy US trip

Credit goes to Centre, says BJP

Criticising Stalin’s London and European investment visits, BJP leader Annamalai alleged that such trips have failed in the past to bring substantial investments to Tamil Nadu.

“Previous foreign tours by Stalin have not resulted in visible investments. We repeatedly demanded that the state government publish a ‘white paper’ detailing the actual investment inflows from these international outreach efforts,” he said.

He claimed the majority of large-scale investments and projects in Tamil Nadu were, in fact, facilitated or directly funded by the central government. “After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to several countries, they prepared calendars of involvement and TN gets investments based on that. It’s not nice for the Tamil Nadu CM to stake claim,” he said.

Also read: After Revanth, Stalin heads to US to attract investments, meet diaspora

Stalin hits back

When mediapersons questioned Stalin on the criticism by EPS, he said, “We believe in transparent governance, unlike EPS, who thrives on half-display politics.”

Despite the criticism against his foreign trips, Stalin maintained that Tamil Nadu was emerging as a top destination for global investors and insisted the new agreements would significantly boost the state’s economy.