Indian conglomerate Tata Group on Wednesday announced plans to set up a global battery cell gigafactory in the UK at an investment of over 4 billion pounds, aimed to help power the automotive sector's transition to electric mobility.
The UK government, which hailed the group's plans for the 40GW battery cell gigafactory -- one of the largest in Europe, for EVs, said it will create thousands of jobs across the supply chain.
Tata Motors and its British subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will be anchor customers of the plant, the group said in a statement.
Production at the new gigafactory is due to start in 2026 and is pitched as a key driver behind British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's priority to grow the UK economy.
Sunak hailed Tata Group's announcement as an "incredibly proud" moment for the country's automotive industry and described it as a testament to the strength of the UK car manufacturing industry and its skilled workers.
"Tata Group's multi-billion-pound investment in a new battery factory in the UK is a testament to the strength of our car manufacturing industry and its skilled workers," he said.
Sunak further said, "With the global transition to zero-emission vehicles well underway, this will help grow our economy by driving forward our lead in battery technology whilst creating as many as 4,000 jobs, and thousands more in the supply chain," he said.
"We can be incredibly proud that Britain has been chosen as home to Tata Group's first gigafactory outside India, securing our place as one of the most attractive places to build electric vehicles," the British prime minister said.
Later in the day in a tweet, Sunak, "The new gigafactory will provide almost half of the car battery production needed in the UK by 2030. And it will mean the UK is perfectly positioned to be a global leader in battery technology."