The Hindu Business Line : Kerala envisages 25,000 SSI units a year

THE Kerala Government is coming out with a new support scheme for small-scale industries called `Prathyasha', which envisages creating 25,000 small-scale units every year, Mr V.K. Ebrahim Kunju, Industries and Social Welfare Minister, said here on Thursday. The scheme will be formally inaugurated on August 20.

Mr T.O. Sooraj, Director of Industries and Commerce, said the Department had received about 43,000 applications of which 30,000 were selected for the scheme. A study by the Department had revealed that the main problems faced by entrepreneurs in the State were deficient working capital and bureaucratic hassles. He said that the Government would handhold the entrepreneurs right through the process of setting up their ventures.

To give a fillip to industrial activity in the State, the second annual B2B (business to business) meet organised by the State Government will showcase eight key sectors — coir, handicrafts, handloom, processed food, construction material, ayurvedic products, rubber and rubber products, and printing and packaging. A delegation from the Industries Department headed by Mr Ebrahim Kunju was in Chennai to promote the event.

The event is being organised by the Department of Industries in association with the Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion, the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Kerala Small Scale Industries Association.

Mr Sooraj said total exports from Kerala were about Rs 4,600 crore. He said that by 2006 the Government hoped to touch Rs 10,000 crore in exports.

He said that buyers from India and overseas are expected at the event. Some products such as `nettor petti', `aranmula kannadi' and ayurvedic textiles are popular with overseas buyers. Last year at the B2B meet, an order of about Rs 1 crore was placed for the `muthukkoda' (ornamental umbrella), he said.

The three-day event will have about 300 sellers from the State. Mr Sooraj said that more than 250 national and 50 international buyers have expressed interest in the event.

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