![\"Image](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SouthStates.jpg\")
ETtech\n <\/p>\nThe battle for investments among key southern states is escalating, and the new secret weapon is quality of life. Forget less paperwork and faster approvals, some of them are marketing everything from golf tournaments for expats and showcasing wildlife reserves to guaranteeing an exciting nightlife as well as modern amenities. Vibrant, liveable conditions have officially become a non-negotiable top ask as companies funnel investment dollars into the states.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are focusing on ease of doing business to ease of living,\u201d Paul Arun, senior vice president at Guidance Tamil Nadu, told ET. \u201cOur effort is to show investors that Tamil Nadu is not only a great place to do business in but also to live.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guidance Tamil Nadu is the state agency in charge of investment promotion and facilitation.<\/p>\n
More than 225 expat CEOs, CXOs and senior leaders participated at a golf tournament that the organisation conducted in the state capital last month.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a day of sport, networking, and camaraderie and was part of our effort to showcase Chennai\u2019s vibrant social and business ecosystem, where global talent can thrive both professionally and personally,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The idea is to broaden the scope to locations across the state, not just its capital.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe goal is to show investors that it isn’t just Chennai but that any city in Tamil Nadu can provide good quality of life\u2014be it Chennai, Coimbatore, Hosur, Thoothukudi or any other city on the state map,\u201d Arun said.<\/p>\n
He said that when expats move, they face a number of challenges while trying to settle into a new environment. \u201cWe are looking to address them through these initiatives which will make them feel more at home,\u201d he said.ETtech\n <\/p>\n
Tamil Nadu already has robust healthcare facilities, infrastructure and educational institutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow we are also looking to sharpen our focus on ease of living as a key metric to further improve the quality of life of expats because we see this as an important investor pitch going forward,\u201d Arun said.<\/p>\n
In Karnataka too, the conversation has gone beyond the state being a hub for startups and tech to the presence of modern amenities such as healthcare, international schools, global cuisine and microbreweries.<\/p>\n
Gunjan Krishna, commissioner of the Karnataka industries and commerce department, said golf was a hot favourite among investors, especially those from Southeast Asian countries and that Bengaluru was well endowed on that front with several courses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to make investors aware of other things that are available for their leisure and enrichment,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have been increasingly showcasing Karnataka’s rich heritage in terms of sites of historical significance like Hampi and the vast wildlife that the state boasts of as a draw for investors. We have seen immense interest from investors to explore these aspects for employees when they look to invest in the state as it provides a differentiated experience and enriches the quality of life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Telangana is doubling down on urban infrastructure as the key differentiator.<\/p>\n
Sai Krishna, advisor to the state\u2019s IT minister, said the government is building roads, strengthening metro connectivity and expanding Hyderabad airport to provide companies with a viable alternative to Bengaluru or Delhi. He said sustainable growth, world-class infrastructure and urban excellence were the metrics the state was pitching to global investors.<\/p>\n
\u201cHyderabad is not just a city of today, we are building it for the future, with a strong focus on sustainability and liveability,\u201d he said. \u201cInitiatives like Global Innovation Hub, the AI City, the Regional Ring Road, Skill University and the upcoming Future City reflect our commitment to creating a next-generation urban ecosystem. We are shaping Hyderabad into a model of sustainable urban living, a city that combines the convenience of global metros with a superior quality of life rooted in smart planning, green mobility and inclusive growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh remains steadfast in its commitment to speed of doing business.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is the USP we are going after,\u201d said a state official. \u201cBut we have been urging companies to build their own ecosystems and often quote the Kia model. Anantapur, where Kia has a sprawling factory, is like a small Korean island in AP dotted with authentic Korean supermarkets and restaurants.\u201d<\/p>\n
As more MNCs establish their bases in Andhra Pradesh, the goal is to enable them to build their own enclaves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The battle for investments among key southern states is escalating, and the new secret weapon is quality of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":251208,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[104692,84,1294,104691,104689,104690,104693,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-251207","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-economy","8":"tag-andhra-pradesh-business-ecosystem","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-economy","11":"tag-karnataka-lifestyle-amenities","12":"tag-southern-states-investment","13":"tag-tamil-nadu-investment","14":"tag-telangana-urban-development","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom","17":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}