M K Stalin embarks on 17-day trip to United States

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday night embarked on a 17-day trip to the United States to garner fresh investments, his fourth overseas trip after the DMK came to power in 2021.

Stalin will make two city stops in the US in San Francisco and Chicago where his officials have lined up a slew of meetings with representatives from MNCs, including those who have already made the state their home.

One of Stalin’s first engagements in the US will be attending an investment conclave in San Francisco on August 29 during which the state government will sign Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with several companies. The trip by Stalin comes eight months after the Tamil Nadu government signed MoUs worth over Rs 6 lakh crore during the third edition of the Global Investors Meet – some of the pledges made at the conclave were realised into investments at an event last week.

“This visit is part of a broader strategy to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), enhance technological capabilities, and create job opportunities in Tamil Nadu,” a senior government official said.

Stalin, according to officials, is also likely to visit prominent technology companies, underscoring Tamil Nadu’s focus on embracing cutting-edge technologies and fostering an ecosystem conducive to R&D and high-tech manufacturing.

The state has already emerged as the locus of iPhone manufacturing in India with three key suppliers – Foxconn, Pegatron, and Tata Electronics – expanding their operations. Additionally, Bharat FIH, an arm of Foxconn, will soon begin to assemble Pixel phones and drones for Google.

“Apart from electronics, the visit will focus on Artificial Intelligence and other sunrise sectors,” another government official said.

In Chicago, from September 2 to September 12, Stalin will engage in one-on-one meetings with key industry players to explore collaborations in various sectors, including automotive, healthcare, and precision manufacturing.

After coming to power in 2021, Stalin had visited Dubai, Singapore, Japan, and Spain to attract investments to the state.