CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday inaugurated the Daimler Commercial Vehicles Plant at Oragadam here and said Chennai has emerged as India’s largest automobile and auto components manufacturing hub.Hailing Daimler for choosing Chennai to establish the facility, she said that out of 27 global Daimler truck plants, the Oragadam Plant is the third largest outside Germany. She said the German auto giant has invested `2,500 crore in the facility. “To encourage Daimler to invest more, my government has approved an attractive package resulting in Daimler scaling up its investment commitment to `4,000 crore as against the original investment plan of `3,000 crore,” she added.Stating that the new industrial policy 2012 will accelerate the pace of growth of the manufacturing sector to 14 per cent, she said the government will soon announce industry-specific policies for the automobiles and auto components sector, biotechnology, aerospace industry and renewable energy with special focus on solar power. She also vowed to bridge infrastructure deficit and said the government will lay 2,000 km of six- and eight-lane expressways and 5,000 km of four-lane highways before the end of 2023.She said Daimler’s success will enthuse many German firms to invest in TN. Quoting Karl Marx, she said: “‘When ideas capture the minds of men, they become a material force in society’, and I have the vision of making the state ‘Global Manufacturing Hub’ and my government is actively engaged in establishing this mission.” Top government officials, including Minister for Industries P Thangamani and chief secretary Debendranath Sarangi were present at the function.
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