Malaysia - Tamil Nadu Para-Diplomacy Gets a Vijay Boost

Several states can play a positive role in pushing India’s S&T ties with other countries – especially in the ASEAN region. Soft power linkages – driven by diaspora and cultural affinity – can pave the way for closer ties. Tamil Nadu’s links to Malaysia provide a model that other Indian states can replicate.

Newly appointed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay is a major celebrity among Malaysia's Tamil diaspora

In the days following the announcement of election results in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal on 4 May, the global community has been reacting to the outcomes. Several international publications commented on the results of the West Bengal election, which the BJP won with a thumping majority. U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated PM Modi for what he dubbed as a ‘historic’ win.

Significantly, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim congratulated Tamil Nadu CM Chandrashekhar Joseph Vijay. On X, PM Ibrahim said that the people of Tamil Nadu had entrusted Vijay with a ‘responsibility’ which was ‘far greater’ than any on screen role. Ibrahim also highlighted the point:

“Malaysia and Tamil Nadu share deep historical, cultural and people-to-people ties across generations. I look forward to working closely with Chief Minister Vijay in the years ahead.”

The message was warmly received by Vijay, who pledged to foster greater cooperation with Malaysia and thanked PM Ibrahim for his kind words.

Malaysia-TN: The Diaspora and Cultural Connect

Malaysia is home to a large population of individuals of Indian origin – an estimated 2 million. The Indian community in Malaysia accounts for 6-7% of the total population. Tamil speakers account for an estimated 90% of the Indian population in Malaysia. During his visit to Malaysia in February 2026, PM Modi had highlighted the contributions of the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia:

“The members of the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia are serving the society in various fields and the Tamil diaspora has been here for many centuries, and inspired by this history, we are proud to have established the Thiruvalluvar Chair in the University of Malaya.”

He also said that one of the important links between India and Malaysia was the ‘shared love for the Tamil language’. He highlighted the fact that the Tamil language has a strong imprint on Malaysia’s media, education and culture.

Popularity of Tamil Cinema

Several Tamil films like Kabali (2016), Iru Mugan (2016), Kadaram Kondan (2019) and Ace (2025) have been shot in Malaysia. Meanwhile, Vijay’s Greatest of All Time (GOAT), released in 2024, emerged as the highest grossing film (the film was also released in Hindi and Telugu). This was amongst his last films before he plunged into TN politics.

It would be pertinent to point out here that several Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films have also been shot in Malaysia. While Rajnikanth and Vijay are the most popular Tamil stars -- others like Dhanush, Allu Arjun and Prabhas are also immensely popular in the South East Asian nation.

The close links between Malaysia and Tamil cinema clearly reiterate the soft power linkages – via diaspora and popular culture – between the South-East Asian country and the Southern Indian state.

Economic, S&T Linkages

Malaysia has investments in several Indian states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Delhi, while it is seeking to expand its presence in Telangana. However, some of the most significant investments the South-East Asian country has made are in Tamil Nadu – which in recent years has emerged amongst the top three Indian states in terms of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Tamil Nadu has consistently ranked near the top in terms of FDI inflow.

In May 2023, Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas company Petronas announced an investment of USD 4 billion. Under this project, Petronas is set to produce green hydrogen in Thoothukudi. Furthermore, Gentari, the renewable energy subsidiary of Petronas, is also expanding its presence in the state via wind and solar projects.

In 2025, VCI Global (Malaysia) announced that it would be starting India’s first semiconductor wire manufacturing plant in partnership with Kinesis Manufacturing Solutions in Chennai. The initial investment for this plant was estimated at USD 3.5 million.

Malaysian companies also have a presence in health management, tech and electronic goods. Samsara foods, a manufacturer of 100% vegetarian plant-based products, also has a significant footprint in Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, the Malaysia-TN connection goes both ways as highlighted by Garuda Aerospace, a Chennai-based drone startup, announcing in 2022 that it has joined hands with HiiLSE Global Sdn Bhd (HiiLSE Drones) for establishing a drone factory in Malaysia.

Furthermore, in 2024, IIT Madras entered into a partnership with SilTerra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. for joint development of programmable silicon photonic processor chips. 

Malaysian PM’s Message: Beyond Soft Power

The congratulatory message from the Malaysian PM to the Tamil Nadu CM needs to be viewed not just from the soft power lens but also the growing importance of state governments in foreign policy – often referred to as ‘para-diplomacy’. New Delhi and India’s state governments need to work together to ensure that states are successful in tapping the diaspora and leverage historical linkages.

At the same time, it is also important for India’s states to focus on South-East Asia given the geographical proximity and the increasing interest of those nations in tapping opportunities in India. A strong reiteration of this is the recent visit of the Vietnamese President, To Lam to India, where apart from visiting Delhi he also attended an India-Vietnam Business Forum in Mumbai.

There is particular scope for cooperation in infrastructure, AI and semi-conductors between India and South-East Asia and state governments have an important role to play. Taking the cue from Tamil Nadu and its ties with Malaysia, it is vitally important that ‘para-diplomacy’ gains momentum in India and benefits more states.

Tridivesh Singh Maini

Tridivesh Singh Maini is an Assistant Professor at the Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA), where he has been teaching since August 2014. His research interests include — India’s ties with its extended neighbourhood (with a focus on Gulf and Iran), geo-economics in South Asia, the role of India’s states in the country’s external relations, The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and BRICS.