The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday inaugurated a ‘Diplomatic Outreach’ programme focussed on highlighting economic and investment opportunities in the State. The event saw the exchange of several agreements with an aggregate investment commitment of ₹1,250 crore besides creating thousands of jobs in the State.

The agreements include an investment of ₹500 crore by South Korea’s Hanon Automotive System in its existing plant at Maraimalai Nagar. The investment will generate 149 additional jobs for the local community.

Japanese auto components producer Mitsuba Sical India also announced an investment of ₹500 crore for expansion of its existing facility at Gummidipoondi which create 304 new jobs.

Jogo Health, a US-based digital therapeutic company, which initially signed an MoU for ₹15 crore during the Chief Minister’s US visit in September 2019, has increased its investment to ₹250 crore. The company plans to open 1,000 EMG biofeedback clinics and provide jobs for 10,000 people.

“A high-level delegation led by me undertook road shows to the US, UK and UAE, attracting investments worth ₹8,835 crore to Tamil Nadu. Several projects have already been inaugurated,” Palaniswami said adding “one such project which I launched today - Jogo Health has increased its investment 16 times more than the actual investment committed by them.’

The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for Tamil Nadu Polymer Industries Park, a joint venture project between Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) and State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) spread over 257 acres at Puzhuthivakkam village in Ponneri Taluk of Tiruvallur district. The ₹217-crore park will attract an additional investment of ₹3,000 crore and generate over 7,000 new jobs.

The event also saw the signing of an MoU between TIDCO and the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) to develop the Ponneri Node of the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC).

The inaugural session of the two-day diplomatic event, organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in association with the State government, saw diplomats from 36 countries including Denmark, France, Japan, Korea, Thailand, UK and the US.

“I call upon the diplomats from around the world who are present here today to act as bridges between your country and Tamil Nadu. I request you to facilitate not only private but also public investments from your country,” Palaniswami said.

The Chief Minister also released a handbook ‘Doing Business in Tamil Nadu’, a comprehensive source of information for investors.