To get more multinational firms to set up shop in the State, Guidance Tamil Nadu, the nodal agency of the Tamil Nadu government for investment promotion and single-window facilitation, has roped in a person who can speak Mandarin into its country-specific desk.
Officials feel that having a person who can speak the local language would boost investor confidence. The department has also stationed a representative, E. Prakash, in Taiwan to get leads on potential investors and firms looking to set up operations in Tamil Nadu. In the Chennai office, the department has appointed an associate vice-president, Clifford Li, who can speak Mandarin and is sending all email communications in that language.
“Having a person who can speak the [local] language makes a huge difference and removes the communication gap. They also have deep knowledge about the country, which is an added advantage,” said Neeraj Mittal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Guidance Tamil Nadu. Plans to induct more members who can speak various languages are on the anvil. The Guidance Tamil Nadu office in Chennai has country-specific desks, which are instrumental in attracting investments from each of those regions and also provide assistance to firms that have already invested here. The department has Japan, Korea and U.S. desks, among others.
Government sources said small initiatives like these were being taken to ensure that companies looking at India as an investment destination post-COVID-19 make Tamil Nadu their first priority. During a recent interaction with The Hindu, Tamil Nadu Industries Secretary N. Muruganandam indicated that many Chinese firms had evinced interest in setting up operations in India. “Tamil Nadu is well-poised to attract these investments,” he said.
Aneesh Sekhar, Executive Director, Guidance Tamil Nadu, said many firms from China and other regions had already evinced interest in Tamil Nadu, adding, “We are waiting for international flight services to resume.”
“We have virtually shown land parcels to some firms. Sipcot has done GIS mapping of land with drones, and those aerial pictures are being shared with investors,” he said.
