TVK Industries Minister Keerthana’s recent claims that the Joseph Vijay government brought major investments such as HD Hyundai’s proposed shipbuilding project and Larsen & Toubro’s data centre project to Tamil Nadu are now facing serious scrutiny after documentary evidence surfaced showing that both projects were initiated years before the current government assumed office.
The controversy began after Keerthana, while addressing a public forum, alleged that Tamil Nadu had lost nearly 25 investments worth ₹3 lakh crore and around two lakh jobs during the previous DMK regime because companies were allegedly asked to pay a “30% commission.”
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The minister further projected the current government as having reversed the situation and attracted major investments into the state after coming to power.
However, despite making the explosive allegation, no evidence was presented identifying which companies supposedly withdrew investments, which sectors were affected, or how the alleged commission demand directly resulted in the loss of ₹3 lakh crore worth of projects.
Given the seriousness of the charge, the government must either place documentary proof before the public or initiate legal proceedings against those allegedly responsible. Merely repeating such allegations on political stages without substantiation raises questions about the credibility of the claim itself.
HD Hyundai Investment Predates TVK Government
One of the investments repeatedly highlighted by Keerthana is HD Hyundai’s proposed ₹38,000 crore shipbuilding investment in Tamil Nadu.
The minister portrayed the investment as a major achievement of the present administration. However, records tell a different story.
Documents show that HD Hyundai signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government on 7 December 2025. The agreement was signed months before the present government assumed office.
The MoU specifically related to the establishment of a new shipyard in Tamil Nadu and was announced publicly by HD Hyundai itself in December 2025.
This raises an obvious question: if the agreement had already been signed, how can the present administration claim to have brought the investment to Tamil Nadu?
It is noteworthy that investor visits after the signing of an MoU are routine and form part of the implementation process. The recent interactions between HD Hyundai representatives and the Tamil Nadu government therefore appear to be follow-up engagements rather than evidence that the investment was newly secured by the present administration.
Despite this, Keerthana publicly projected the investment as though it had been attracted through the efforts of the TVK government.
The controversy does not stop with HD Hyundai.
The L&T Data Centre Claim Faces Similar Questions
Keerthana has also spoken about Larsen & Toubro’s major data centre investment in Kanchipuram as an achievement of the present administration.
Yet documentary records show that L&T signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government on 24 November 2021, for the establishment of a large-scale data centre project in Kanchipuram.
The project was conceived as a multi-year investment plan, with implementation phases extending into the 2025-26 period.
In other words, the project was planned, negotiated and approved years before the present government came to power.
Presenting such a project as though it was newly secured by the current administration therefore appears misleading, critics argue.
Neither TVK Nor DMK Can Claim Sole Credit For HD Hyundai
Interestingly, available evidence also challenges attempts by the previous DMK government to claim exclusive credit for HD Hyundai’s investment.
The shipbuilding project is closely linked to the Union Government’s Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, a national maritime development strategy championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
The vision aims to transform India into one of the world’s leading maritime powers by 2047 through large-scale investments in ports, logistics, coastal infrastructure and shipbuilding.
As part of this initiative, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri engaged with South Korean stakeholders and shipbuilding companies, including discussions aimed at bringing maritime investments into India.
The broader programme envisions investments worth nearly ₹80 lakh crore by 2047 and includes plans to modernise ports, expand coastal industrial clusters, improve inland water transport, strengthen logistics infrastructure and increase cargo handling capacity to 10,000 million metric tonnes.
HD Hyundai’s investment proposal emerged within this larger national framework rather than from the efforts of any single state government.
“Single Window” Positioned As Revolutionary When It Was In Existence For A While
Further questions have also been raised regarding the government’s recent promotional campaign surrounding Tamil Nadu’s investment facilitation mechanisms.
Keerthana’s public messaging highlighted the state’s “Single Window System” as though it were a major new initiative.
However, the National Single Window System was introduced in 2021 by the Union Government to streamline industrial approvals across India.
Critics argue that presenting such an existing mechanism as a fresh achievement reflects either a lack of awareness or an attempt to claim credit for pre-existing initiatives.
Bigger Questions Remain Unanswered
The controversy comes at a time when concerns are being raised over Tamil Nadu’s industrial climate and the movement of certain investments outside the state.
The TVK minister seems to be focusing on claiming ownership of old projects while failing to address concerns regarding companies such as AMCA, Adidas, Mazgon Dock, and Royal Enfield, which have reportedly expanded investments elsewhere.
It is even more shocking especially after a recent industrial accident at a shrimp processing facility killed 7 workers and endangered almost 100 migrant workers. But at a time like this, instead of rushing to the scene, the Industries Department was prioritising attending a fireworks show to celebrate CM Joseph Vijay’s birthday.
When documentary evidence shows that these projects were already in motion years before the TVK government assumed office, Keerthana’s claims begin to look less like industrial achievements and more like an attempt to appropriate investments that were never hers to claim.
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