Chennai, Dec 1 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami said on Saturday that the state has signed 63 new Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) in the past 10 months.

Speaking at the Investment and Skill Development Conclave here, Palaniswami said: "In the past 10 months alone, Tamil Nadu has attracted 63 new MoU projects with investments of Rs 19,000 crore."

He said the investments will come from Japan, Germany, South Korea, the US and the UAE.

"We are renewing our efforts to increase exports from Tamil Nadu by constituting a high-level committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary," he said.

Tamil Nadu government on Saturday signed nine MoUs with different industries involving an investment of Rs 5,027 crore in the state in Palaniswami's presence at the conclave.

Bulk of that will be made by BYD India Pvt Ltd, the Indian arm of Chinese group BYD, to set up a phone component manufacturing facility with an investment of Rs 2,800 crore. The new project is likely to provide employment to 11,500 persons.

Palaniswami also inaugurated the projects promoted by US companies Kapisoft, ZL Technology and Kloud Learn.

The Chief Minister also launched three apex skill development centres involving an investment of Rs 60 crore. Two MoUs for new ITIs at an oulay of Rs 28.43 crore were also signed at the event.

Besides, the government signed a knowledge partnership with the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M), for the defence corridor coming up in the state and to make the state a major aerospace and defence manufacturing hub.