Investment

Madras Railway Company formed

The Madras Railway was established to build the first main line railways of South India.

Indian Bank founded in Madras

Inspired by the Swadeshi movement, the Indian-owned Indian Bank opened in Madras following the failure of Arbuthnot & Co.

Lakshmi Vilas Bank founded at Karur

Lakshmi Vilas Bank was founded at Karur, one of several private banks started by Tamil business communities in the 1920s.

Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation established

The state government set up the Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) to promote large industrial projects.

SIPCOT founded to develop industrial estates

The State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu was set up to develop industrial parks across the state.

Apollo Hospitals founded in Madras

Prathap C. Reddy founded Apollo Hospitals in Madras, India's first corporate healthcare provider.

Madras Export Processing Zone set up at Tambaram

The Union government set up the Madras Export Processing Zone on GST Road at Tambaram to attract foreign investment and boost exports.

Titan Watches founded as Tata-TIDCO joint venture with plant at Hosur

Titan Watches Limited was incorporated in Chennai as a joint venture of the Tata Group and TIDCO, with a quartz watch plant at Hosur.

India and the Soviet Union sign the Kudankulam nuclear agreement

Rajiv Gandhi and Mikhail Gorbachev signed an agreement to build two nuclear reactors at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district.

Ford enters India with plant near Chennai

Ford re-entered India through a joint venture with Mahindra and set up its main car plant at Maraimalai Nagar near Chennai.

Hyundai Motor India formed, plant at Irungattukottai

Hyundai established an Indian subsidiary and a car factory at Irungattukottai near Chennai, where the Santro, its first car, was launched in 1998.

TIDEL Park inaugurated in Chennai

TIDEL Park, one of the largest IT parks in South Asia at the time, was inaugurated in Chennai by Prime Minister Vajpayee.

Foxconn opens plant in Nokia SEZ at Sriperumbudur

Foxconn India opened a factory inside the Nokia Special Economic Zone at Sriperumbudur to supply Nokia, anchoring an electronics cluster near Chennai.

BMW opens its car plant near Chennai

BMW Group Plant Chennai began operations, adding a luxury carmaker to the automobile cluster around the city.

Nokia halts production at Sriperumbudur

Nokia suspended handset production at its Sriperumbudur factory near Chennai after Microsoft ended its manufacturing agreement.

First Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet

The state held its first Global Investors Meet at the Chennai Trade Centre, signing more than 100 investment MoUs.

Kamuthi solar power plant completed

A 648 MW solar power plant built by the Adani group at Kamuthi in Ramanathapuram district was completed.

Second Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet

The Palaniswami government held the second Global Investors Meet in Chennai, facilitating 304 MoUs worth about Rs 3 lakh crore.

Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet 2024

The DMK government held the third Global Investors Meet in Chennai, focusing on electronics, electric vehicles and renewable energy.

Foundation of ISRO's Kulasekarapattinam launch complex

ISRO's second spaceport, for small satellite launch vehicles, was launched at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district.