Vijay's London trip triggers political storm: ₹15,300 crore or just optics?
Even though govt asserts TN bagged key investments during visit, the Opposition says CM merely signed MoU with firms already present in India, questions why the itinerary wasn’t made public
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s first official overseas trip to London has sparked a political controversy, with opposition parties accusing him of mixing personal engagements with official work and questioning the need for a taxpayer-funded visit to sign deals with companies already present in India. The ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government countered the criticism by highlighting investment commitments of ₹15,300 crore announced during the visit.
‘Visit can result in 10,000 jobs,’ says govt
The Tamil Nadu government said the London visit yielded investment proposals and commitments exceeding ₹15,300 crore that could create more than 10,000 jobs. This included a letter of intent from a leading European auto-components maker to set up its first new manufacturing plant in India in the state. Separately, representatives of major Indian industrial groups, including a prominent commercial-vehicle manufacturer, met the chief minister to review progress on an earlier ₹2,500-crore understanding signed in August, reaffirm their plans to expand operations in Tamil Nadu, and discuss further investments in renewable energy as well as higher exports of vehicles produced in the state.
TN secured strong investments: Industries minister
The four-to-six-day trip, which began on September 10, was officially described as an effort to attract investments in advanced manufacturing, electric vehicles, electronics and Global Capability Centres. On September 14, the government announced several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed in London in Vijay’s presence.
Also read: WATCH | Vijay’s Assembly debut: Performance or political theatre?
Industries Minister S Keerthana said Tamil Nadu was attracting large-scale investments under Vijay’s leadership. “The Chief Minister’s visit to London has secured strong investment commitments across manufacturing, technology and Global Capability Centres. ₹11,000 crore investment commitment from Samvardhana Motherson International, creating around 7,000 employment opportunities across design, engineering, manufacturing, assembly and logistics. ₹1,000 crore investment from EY towards establishing a Global Capability Centre in Tamil Nadu, creating 2,000+ high-value jobs. Sigma Technology Group is expanding its presence in Tamil Nadu,” she said.
Officials listed additional commitments including Wilson Power Solutions (₹300 crore) and said confirmed new investment pledges from the London visit totalled ₹15,300 crore. Vijay also met representatives of Ashok Leyland and Finolex Industries to discuss follow-up on an earlier ₹2,500 crore MoU signed at the VETTRI Tamil Nadu Investors’ Conference in August 2026.
Drama to avoid criticism: AIADMK
AIADMK national spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said the chief minister travelled all the way to the UK to attract investment from the same companies which are well-established and headquartered in India.
“This one-day investment-seeking exercise is turning out to be a drama to avoid criticism over the entertainment activities he is indulging in... The question is, could this entire exercise have been handled from Chennai itself? The answer is yes. Why waste taxpayers’ money and travel all the way to the UK? When the entire exercise takes hardly half a day, why do you need to stay for six days? Who is going to look after the government and governance of Tamil Nadu?” Sathyan said.
Also read: CM Vijay’s UK visit nets Rs 12,300 crore investment commitments for Tamil Nadu
The party specifically targeted the Motherson deal, noting the company was founded in India in 1986 and is headquartered in Noida.
'No transparency,' says DMK
DMK leader TKS Elangovan accused Vijay of “cheating the people”. He told The Federal: “If it were an official trip, the government would have released the tour programme earlier. His day-to-day official programme was not announced, which means he had a separate agenda.”
He added there was no transparency and that the chief minister, as a public figure, should have his schedule known to the people. DMK leader RS Bharathi claimed Vijay had gone to London “for no reason” and that “false news is being given to the public on MoUs signed”. Another DMK leader, Srinidhi Venkatesamohan, said Vijay was repeating popular gestures from the Assembly even in London.
State BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy argued the deals were expansions of existing operations, not fresh investments.
“All these companies already exist in Tamil Nadu... it is only an expansion. It is not a new investment. Even if Chief Minister Vijay had not gone there, obviously they would have to come here because their infrastructure has already been laid here... in February 2026, they had confirmed the investments and it is just a follow-up.”
What riled up Opposition
The controversy intensified after photographs and videos emerged of Vijay at the Silverstone Racing Circuit, where he shared a warm hug with actor-racer Ajith Kumar and was seen with actor Trisha Krishnan at the Le Mans Cup event. Opposition leaders alleged the trip’s real purpose was to attend the race rather than solely pursue investments.
Also read: TN Budget session ends: Vijay makes a mark, but Speaker steals the show
BJP’s Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagendran questioned whether Chief Minister Vijay had gone to London on personal work, noting that it remained unclear who accompanied him and whether the trip was genuinely meant only to attract investors. He added that no one would object if it were a private visit, but if it was an official investment mission the chief minister must give a detailed account of the deals after returning to Tamil Nadu, stressing that the travel itself was not wrong but transparency was essential.
‘Why didn't ministers accompany CM?’
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee vice-president SM Hidayathullah offered a more measured view, calling foreign visits a “routine procedure” followed by previous chief ministers, including Edappadi K Palaniswami (AIADMK) and MK Stalin (DMK). “This is a routine job for the chief minister. Because today, as you know very well, it is very competitive,” he said.
Senior political observer Dhayalan Shanmugam said that in Tamil Nadu it is customary for a chief minister’s foreign tour to be preceded by a public itinerary listing dates, meetings and agenda, yet no such details were released for Vijay’s first overseas visit. Shanmugam also questioned why the industries minister and senior officials were not taken along on a trip meant to attract investment and asked whether the omission signalled an impending Cabinet change.
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TVK minister S Ramesh defended Vijay. He told The Federal that the chief minister was running an effective administration and working to take Tamil Nadu’s achievements, including in sports, to the global stage. He added that the Opposition should stop politicising his visit.
When Stalin, EPS faced scrutiny
The row is reminiscent of similar exchanges in the past. When Stalin travelled abroad as chief minister, the AIADMK accused him of wasting public money and advancing family interests. When Palaniswami made foreign trips, DMK similarly alleged he was promoting family business. Both sides have now reversed roles in criticising Vijay’s London visit. The government maintains that the trip has delivered concrete commitments and strengthened Tamil Nadu’s position as an investment destination.
