Stalin’s US visit spurs tech investments in Tamil Nadu – and a social media moment with Rahul Gandhi

The video drew a response from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who commented: “Brother, when are we cycling together in Chennai?”

To this, Stalin replied: “Dear brother Rahul Gandhi, whenever you’re free, let’s ride and explore the heart of Chennai together! A box of sweets is still pending from my side. After our cycling, let’s enjoy a delicious South Indian lunch with sweets at my home.”

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin rides cycle in the evening during his US trip. (Photo Credit: X/@mkstalin)

Stalin’s visit to the US, marked by meetings with global tech giants and passionate appeals to the Indian-American community, is part of his broader mission to secure the future of his state as a major industrial and technological hub in Asia. Stalin left Chennai on August 28.

Since assuming office in May 2021, Stalin has pursued an aggressive strategy of international outreach, visiting the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Japan, and Spain. The state has subsequently secured investment proposals totaling Rs 10,882 crore, promising employment for over 18,500 people. Of these, five projects worth Rs 990 crore have already kicked off.

At the Tamil Nadu Investment Conclave held just days before his departure, Stalin inaugurated two of these projects — one by a Singaporean company and another by a Japanese firm.

Upon his arrival in San Francisco last week along with his wife, Durga Stalin, he was welcomed by Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa, Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Board chairperson Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, and actor-turned-politician D Napoleon.

He visited the headquarters of Apple, Google, and Microsoft, and described the experiences as “awe-inspiring”. At Google, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to establish Tamil Nadu AI (Artificial Intelligence) labs. The initiative, Stalin said, would not only foster collaboration with startups and MSMEs but also prepare the youth of Tamil Nadu to be a future-ready workforce.

Stalin’s visit is considered a major reach-out of the state government as it also seeks to create a deep, direct connection with top companies such as Apple.

While Apple is already producing phones and other products in the state through Foxconn, Pegatron, and Tata Electronics, Google Pixel is also being produced by Bharat FIH, a Foxconn subsidiary.

According to state government sources, Stalin’s discussions with top officials at Google included plans to expand the production of Pixel 8 phones, which are manufactured in Tamil Nadu, and to launch other Google products in the state. Stalin also held talks about the importance of AI labs, the industrial ecosystem, and the capacity for future growth.

At Apple, Stalin was equally assertive about making Tamil Nadu a key manufacturing hub for Asia. He thanked the company for putting Tamil Nadu on the global electronics manufacturing map and listed out his government’s efforts to further enhance the state’s manufacturing environment. The visit of the official delegation also focused on backing their invitations with government policies on industry, housing, transport logistics, and the education and skills development of youth and women. Tamil Nadu has emerged as a key spot of Apple productions in India, with facilities of Foxconn units producing around 80% of total Apple products in the country.

During Stalin’s visit to Microsoft, he met Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn, and senior Microsoft leadership. A government note said the discussions centred on expanding data centre infrastructure in Tamil Nadu and the establishment of a Global Capability Centre.