Tamil Nadu’s European Push Gains Momentum: UK Firms Back Investments in Defence, Energy and Design

Sept 4, 2025 – Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s UK visit on Wednesday marks a significant boost across multiple sectors of the state. In the second part of the TN Rising European visit, led by CM, M K Stalin, a total of 6 MoUs were signed across high-value sectors. It also increases the state’s future relevance in positioning itself as a national and global leader across multiple domains. 

The companies include aerospace major Rolls-Royce, maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence, Wilson Power & Distribution Technologies, Britannia RFID Technologies India, Ecole Intuit Lab, and the University of Exeter. 

Defence and Aerospace Investments
The most anticipated event was the meeting with Rolls-Royce, considered one of the world’s foremost aerospace and defence technology firms in the world. The company showed a keen interest in expanding its operations in Tamil Nadu, including a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, a research and development (R&D) and training centre. The move is to bolster its IAMPL joint venture in Hosur.  

Maritime Growth
With the intention of strengthening the state’s capabilities in maritime analytics, vessel tracking and port management solutions, the CM signed a memorandum with Lloyd’s List Intelligence (Seasearcher), This collaboration is expected to generate about 200 jobs by FY 2026. 

Renewable Energy Expansion
To boost presence in the renewable energy sector of Tamil Nadu, Wilson Power and Distribution Technologies announced plans to establish a new electric transformer manufacturing facility in the state. The proposed Rs. 300 crore investment will align with its clean-tech value chain and significantly contribute to the state’s ambition of becoming the capital of green energy manufacturers. The deal also promises to create around 534 jobs. 

Textile and Education Boost
In the textile domain, Britannia RFID Technologies India aims to invest Rs 520 crore to set up a high-capacity RFID tag manufacturing unit in Tiruppur and Namakkal. On the other hand, the education sector will see the renowned Ecole Intuit Lab partnering with Sakthi Excellence Academy to establish a design-focused institution for higher education in Coimbatore. There are also talks of University of Exeter collaborating for multiple research and academic development programs. 

All these strategic MoUs are considered to be among the first few tangible examples of Tamil Nadu leveraging the India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in a bid to deepen sectoral collaboration and attract international investments. 

Disclaimer:  At HDFC SKY, we take utmost care and due diligence in curating and presenting news and market-related content. However, inadvertent errors or omissions may occasionally occur. 

If you have any concerns, questions, or wish to point out any discrepancies in our content, please feel free to write to us at content@hdfcsec.com. 

Please note that the information shared is intended solely for informational purposes and does not make any investment recommendations