- Foxconn has denied making a fresh Rs 15,000-crore investment commitment in Tamil Nadu
- DMK Minister TRB Rajaa reiterated that discussions did indeed happen for a project of that scale
- The opposition parties latched on to Foxconn's denial to target the DMK government
A day after reports emerged that Foxconn - the world's largest contract mobile manufacturer - had denied making a fresh Rs 15,000-crore investment commitment in Tamil Nadu, the state's Industries Minister T R B Rajaa on Monday reiterated that discussions did indeed happen for a project of that scale, expected to create 14,000 high-value jobs.
Rajaa's clarification came amid confusion triggered by Foxconn's reported statement said it doesn't consider these investments as new. "These investments were firmed up after a year-long struggle," Rajaa said.
A senior official from the Minister's team told NDTV that Foxconn "does not consider this as fresh investment" because "talks have been ongoing for over a year."
Sources also indicated that the Taiwanese electronics giant is "under pressure from a US tech company amid tariff concerns," possibly explaining its cautious wording.
The controversy erupted after Foxconn's India representative Robert Wu met Chief Minister MK Stalin in Chennai on Monday. Following the meeting, both the Chief Minister and the Industries Minister took to social media to hail the development.
This is the #DravidianModel in action. Thank you @HonHai_Foxconn for choosing Tamil Nadu and shaping the future with us.
— M.K.Stalin - தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) October 13, 2025
This marks another milestone in our journey to make Tamil Nadu the manufacturing and innovation hub of South Asia. https://t.co/ISNETulqBk
In a post on X, Rajaa said, "Foxconn will bring its next phase of value-added manufacturing, R&D integration, and AI-led advanced tech operations to Tamil Nadu. Foxconn commits Rs 15,000 crore in investments and 14,000 high-value jobs! Engineers, get ready!"
He also announced that Guidance Tamil Nadu, the state's investment promotion agency, would set up a dedicated Foxconn desk to facilitate the project.
Chief Minister Stalin, in his own post, described the announcement as part of the "Dravidian Model in action", adding, "This marks another milestone in our journey to make Tamil Nadu the manufacturing and innovation hub of South Asia."
However, the development has quickly taken a political turn, with opposition parties latching on to Foxconn's denial to target the DMK government.
PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss described the episode as "a bag of lies that got exposed in half a day," and demanded a white paper on investments announced by the state.
BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy called it "a Dravidian lie and a shame for Tamil Nadu."
Hitting back, Rajaa urged the opposition "to stop making childish statements without understanding the geo-political issues involved and the difficulty in drawing investments into India".
The controversy has turned sharper as the Tamil Nadu Assembly is in session and the state is gearing up for the 2026 state elections.
