Tata, Mahindra vow to help build modern Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: CAPTAINS of Indian industry, including Ratan Tata and Anand Mahindra, have pledged their support and offered suggestions for Kerala to take giant steps in industrial development without affecting the State's natural beauty and ecological system.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the government will consider setting up an Export Promotion Council for global marketing of its products.

Participating online in a Special Industry Session, which was part of "Kerala Looks Ahead," an international conference and consultation organised by the State Planning Board on Wednesday, they also acknowledged the new investors friendly climate in the state and identified information technology, education, healthcare and tourism as the sectors that could be promoted vigorously.

Ratan Tata, Chairperson of Tata Trusts, said Kerala's industrial development may not have been as aggressive as elsewhere in India in the past due to the desire to keep the state beautiful. He expressed the hope that the international conference and consultation would help Kerala evolve a sensible industrial development policy, covering both the new areas of information technology and traditional tourism without spoiling the state's beauty.

In his concluding remarks to the session, the Chief Minister said the State offered plenty of opportunities for investment and invited the industry leaders to be partners to the state's onward journey. The conclave was an occasion to announce to the world Kerala's initiatives to build a modern industrial sector, harnessing the skills and enterprises within the state, as part of efforts to build a modern economy and inclusive society. Noting that growth of the productive forces in Kerala will be based on application of science and technology to agriculture and industry, Vijayan said the state has its task set for the next five to ten years to ensure sustainable, environment-friendly economic growth, and high levels of skill development.