CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday showcased before visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Tamil Nadu’s potential for large investments in various sectors and pointed out the areas where TN and United States could joins hands for making investments.The US Secretary of State also expressed her desire for a State-to-State programme between Tamil Nadu and the States in US for various industrial and economic programmes. During her meeting with Clinton at the Secretariat here, Jayalalithaa invited more US investment in the automobile sector in Tamil Nadu, stating that that the State enjoyed pre-eminence in automotive/auto components.Clinton informed the CM that the Overseas Private Investment Corporation in the US had many opportunities for investments in Tamil Nadu and the US would look forward to many large investments in the State.During the interaction, the CM recalled the strong bilateral trade relationship between India and the US and stated that US was India’s third largest trading partner, the second most important export market and the third most important source of imports. India exported 30 billion US $ worth of services to the US in 2009-2010. India imported US $10 billion worth of US services in 2009.Jayalalithaa expected Indian imports of US services to see a sharp increase in the coming years as India’s middle class market would grow larger.She said that Tamil Nadu was aspiring to become a global hub in automobile industry and the opportunities were enormous for the Tamil Nadu and the US governments to work together and formulate a policy to engage CEOs from mid-size companies in each country, to work towards facilitating an enabling environment for small and medium enterprises, leveraging technology, and sourcing, and strengthening the global supply chain management system in the automotive sector.The US Secretary of State agreed that there was great potential for American investments in Tamil Nadu. On renewable energy, Jayalalithaa said solar energy and related technology was also a sector in which Tamil Nadu could provide vast opportunities on a long term basis. She stated that the State government had proposed to establish 10 Solar Energy Parks of 300 MW each and this would require an investment of 9 billion USD. The TN government and the US government could work together to facilitate investment from US companies in Tamil Nadu in this sector.The US Secretary of State evinced keen interest in collaborative exchange programmes between training institutions in Tamil Nadu and the United States.The Chief Minister also gave a detailed account on the road infrastructure in Tamil Nadu.
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