TN Minister TRB Rajaa cites geopolitical factors for Google’s Andhra choice, asks LoP not to politicise investments
Responding to AIADMK MLA and former Minister P Thangamani, during the debate on the supplementary budget in the Assembly, Rajaa said, "Every Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Tamil Nadu government since 2021 will materialise
TRB Raaja Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
CHENNAI: Industries Minister TRB Rajaa on Thursday urged the Opposition not to politicise matters of investment, asserting that Google's decision to set up its largest data centre in Andhra Pradesh was guided by geopolitical and diplomatic considerations, not by state-level policies.
Responding to AIADMK MLA and former Minister P Thangamani, during the debate on the supplementary budget in the Assembly, Rajaa said, "Every Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Tamil Nadu government since 2021 will materialise. We are also pursuing MoUs signed under the previous AIADMK regime. Our priority is to translate them into real investments and employment opportunities. Currently, our conversion rate stands at 77 per cent, and we are confident of reaching 80 per cent soon."
Referring to Foxconn's Rs 15,000-crore investment in Tamil Nadu, the Minister clarified that the deal was genuine. "Foxconn has multiple entities. One of them was denied investments because it was not the primary investor. However, the Rs 15,000-crore commitment made by Foxconn is absolutely true and will generate around 14,000 engineering jobs in the State," he said.
On Google's investment in Andhra Pradesh, Rajaa said, "There are several reasons behind Google's choice. Along with Google, Adani is a partner. These are linked to global trade dynamics and US tariff issues, matters beyond state jurisdiction. In such geopolitical issues, Tamil Nadu stands with the Centre and the nation, without indulging in politics. The Google investment in AP is a diplomatic issue."
Appealing to Opposition parties to avoid politicising industrial matters, Rajaa said doing so would dampen the aspirations of Tamil Nadu's youth. Responding to Opposition Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, he added, "According to Union government data, Tamil Nadu has created 32 lakh jobs through various MoUs. We will soon achieve 80 per cent conversion and usher in Dravidian Model 2.0 by 2026."
