Chennai:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay is set to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, in a major push to attract global investments to the state, the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has told NDTV.
Vijay would become the first sitting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to visit Davos, signalling the new government’s attempt to raise the state’s profile among global investors and strengthen its investment outreach.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu’s Industries Ministers from the previous DMK regime, Thangam Thennarasu and subsequently TRB Rajaa, had visited Davos to explore investment opportunities. However, Vijay’s proposed visit would mark the first time a Chief Minister from the state attends the global economic gathering.
“Tamil Nadu will get a new attention and large investments after Vijay’s Davos visit. Imagine exchanging cards with global leaders,” TVK spokesperson M Sathyakumar told NDTV. He also claimed that the Chief Minister would receive an unprecedented reception at Davos, one “unseen for any other global leader”.
The proposed visit comes amid criticism from the opposition that Tamil Nadu is losing out to other states in attracting fresh investments. The ruling party has countered these allegations by accusing the Centre of favouring neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, governed by NDA ally Chandrababu Naidu, in investment-related matters.
Read | Vijay Meets Economist After Row Over His Early-Morning Detention
Sathyakumar alleged that the Union government and the Ministry of External Affairs were not extending adequate support to Tamil Nadu’s efforts to attract overseas investors.
“Our Chief Minister has declared BJP to be our ideological enemy. Though as a government we have no issue with the Centre, the External Affairs Ministry and the Union government favour Andhra Pradesh when we scout for investments from other countries,” he said.
The TVK spokesperson maintained that despite what he described as a lack of support from the Centre, Tamil Nadu had secured investment commitments worth ₹1 lakh crore and was working to translate them into active projects.
He added that the government was also focusing on getting existing industrial players in Tamil Nadu to expand their operations, alongside efforts to bring in fresh investors.
The BJP has denied allegations of favouritism towards Andhra Pradesh.
