Ranipet

Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran on Monday lauded Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, describing the inauguration of Tata Motors’ new manufacturing facility in the state as a “golden day” for the company and its extended workforce, as the first Land Rover Evoque rolled out of the plant.

Addressing the gathering at the inauguration ceremony, Chandrasekaran recalled that the foundation stone for the facility was laid just 16 months ago, in September 2024, when the Chief Minister had assured full support from the state government.

“He had then told us that whatever approvals or facilities were required would be provided and asked us to commence manufacturing within 16 months,” Chandrasekaran said, adding that the commitment had been fulfilled within the promised timeline.

On Monday, the plant witnessed its first vehicle rolling off the production line, with Chief Minister Stalin himself driving the Land Rover Evoque to symbolically mark the start of operations.

Calling the facility a major milestone for Tata Motors and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Chandrasekaran said the plant would operate with advanced technologies and further strengthen the group’s manufacturing capabilities in India.

He expressed appreciation to the Chief Minister, Industries Minister T R B Rajaa and senior state officials for their cooperation, which enabled the project’s timely completion.

Highlighting Tamil Nadu’s growing importance within the Tata Group, Chandrasekaran said the state has emerged as a key hub for the conglomerate, with a strong presence across multiple sectors.

He pointed to the expansion of Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Taj Hotels, Tata Electronics and several other group companies in the state over the past four years.

“The Tata Motors and JLR operations here will be at an advanced level as we scale up manufacturing in the coming years,” he said.

Chandrasekaran added that the facility was designed to manufacture the latest Tata Motors vehicles as well as Jaguar Land Rover models. “The plant has a production capacity of three lakh vehicles and this is likely just the beginning of our journey to produce high-end automobiles here,” he said.

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The new Tata Motors–JLR facility is expected to generate employment, strengthen the automotive supply chain and further consolidate Tamil Nadu’s position as a leading destination for large-scale manufacturing investments in the country.