Stalin flags off Tata-JLR’s Tamil Nadu luxury car plant

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday inaugurated Tata Motors’ Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) manufacturing facility at Panapakkam in Ranipet district and personally drove the first Range Rover Evoque to roll out of the plant.

Located within the SIPCOT industrial complex, around 90 km from Chennai, the facility marks JLR’s first manufacturing unit in India dedicated to producing its luxury models. Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran accompanied the Chief Minister during the symbolic first drive inside the factory premises.

Spread across 470 acres, the greenfield plant represents an investment of Rs 9,000 crore. The memorandum of understanding for the project was signed in March 2024, followed by the foundation stone laying in September the same year. The rollout of the first vehicle on Monday is being seen as a major milestone under the state’s “Make in Tamil Nadu” push.

State Industries Minister T R B Rajaa said the project is expected to create direct employment for around 5,000 people, besides generating significant indirect jobs in the supply chain and ancillary sectors.

Tata Motors has described the facility as a key step towards strengthening indigenous manufacturing under the “Make in India, For the World” vision. The company said the plant has been built to global standards and will manufacture next-generation cars and SUVs for both Tata Motors and JLR.