Overview
- Photographs of CM C. Joseph Vijay holding an MRF‑branded bat signed by Virat Kohli circulated widely after a meeting at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat on May 22.
- Senior MRF executives — K.M. Mammen, Arun Mammen and Rahul Mammen — met Vijay to discuss the company’s operations in Tamil Nadu and related proposals.
- MRF presented the signed bat as a gift and promoted the moment; reporting differs on whether Kohli personally handed the bat, so his direct involvement remains unconfirmed.
- Coverage linked the meeting to a proposed ₹5,300‑crore greenfield tyre‑manufacturing project, but sources describe the plan as a proposal or non‑binding MoU that needs approvals before it can proceed.
- Vijay’s long public ties to cricket and MRF’s history of sponsoring Kohli help explain the optics, and the key next steps to watch are formal investment filings, government approvals and any binding MoU between MRF and the state.