THE chairman of India’s Tata Group has been presented with a Somerset-made cricket bat on his recent visit to this county.

Mr N. Chandrasekaran is also Chairman of electric vehicle battery manufacturer Agratas, part of the Tata Group, which is building a multi-billion-pound facility near Bridgwater.

Last month’s visit was an opportunity to tour the 525-metre-long Building One, receive updates on the battery manufacturing process and meet local project partners, including Somerset Council and University Centre Somerset College Group.

During the visit, Agratas Chief Executive Officer Tom Flack presented a Millichamp and Hall cricket bat to the chairman, which Agratas says was chosen as a symbol of performance, quality and precision craftsmanship and manufacturing in Somerset - and in recognition of the shared passion for cricket in England and India.

The full Agratas facility, which is set to create thousands of local jobs and generate £700 million in economic value for the region each year, is re-industrialising a 308-acre brownfield site and will become the UK’s largest electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility.

Millichamp and Hall cricket bats are individually handmade using English willow in their workshop at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton and over the years have gained an enviable worldwide reputation.

M&H bats have been used by a number of the greats including Sachin Tendulkar, Marcus Trescothick and Rahul Dravid. Bats have also been presented to Pope Francis, the Governor of India and sent to Kensington Palace.

*Millichamp and Hall are world renowned as innovators and pioneers in the sport, producing the finest cricket equipment for more than 35 years.

By listening to feedback from both customers and some of the best players in the world, the company are at the forefront of where tradition meets the dynamic nature of the modern game.