If a surfeit of MoUs spoiled the first-ever Global Investor Meet in 2003, arguably being long on promise and short on delivery, Emerging Kerala 2012, September 12 to 14, has no pretensions to being a blockbuster investment meet.

“This is going to be a meet where we once again try to showcase Kerala. We will have discussions on opportunities, our strengths such as ITeS, healthcare, BT, tourism and hospitality and food-processing. It will be all about the potential and opportunities,” says industry secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma.

GIM was a first one, obviously a letdown because of huge expectations generated by the Antony government. There were drawbacks; investment offers did not materialise.

Emerging Kerala will involve world leaders, economists and people who matter in the international trade and business. They will flock to Kochi to listen and do a SWOT on Kerala.
Kerala also likes to hear what the visitors have to say, says Mr Alkesh Kumar Sharma.

GIM taught Kerala investments do not come in a day; first the state has to kick in the right environment and ensure a regular dialogue with potential investors.

Emerging Kerala will be a biennial event, ensuring continuity and updating investors on the state.

Investors and bureaucrats admit that the state still suffers from an image, of being investor-unfriendly. But this may not be true as a positive change is discernible on the labour front; strikes are not the order of the day.

However, leading entrepreneur Kochouseph Chittilappilly of V-Guard Industries feels labour militancy rages in certain areas in the state. Mr Chittilappilly had to face the wrath of loading and unloading workers.

Hospitality sector pioneer and former chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry, Kerala, Mr Jose Dominic, feels that the ‘sickle and hammer’ (the CPM electoral symbol) in a way helped in severing and hammering down big ‘polluting’ industries, which explains why the state is still green.

Mr Alkesh Sharma agrees: It is the policy of the state not to encourage polluting industries, especially chemical ones.

Emerging Kerala will send out the message that this is a clean, green and eco-friendly state that beckons only suitable industries.

Fear of trade unions must go, says Kanwar

In 1976, Apollo Tyres, one of the global majors in tyre manufacture, had their humble beginnings at Perambara in Thrissur. Theirs has been a history of overcoming militant trade unionism and now they are turning their second plant in the state into an export-oriented unit.

Company chairman On-kar S. Kanwar still has memories of militant trade unionism fresh in his mind. About Emerging Kerala and what the state needs to do, he says, “The fear of trade unionism is a fact.”

“It is true that TUs have changed their attitude. But that is not enough to encourage people to come to Kerala. Look at us. We came from Punjab to start a venture here. Will a Keralite, who has been living abroad, willingly invest in his home? Only when he doesn’t fear will others be assured of a safe proposition in Kerala,” he adds. But he never regrets having debuted here.

Meet to discuss hot ventures

DC Correspondent
kochi, aug. 10

With prime minister Manmohan Singh, senior Cabinet colleagues, foreign dignitaries and economists trooping in, Emerging Kerala proposes to be a brainstorming session on the state’s development needs.
Business-to-business meets will bring together partners and prospective clients and help chalk out business plans. Online registrations will ensure a protocol.
Already, the response has been great, says industry secretary Alkesh Sharma. While it will not be proper to reveal names of prospective investors so early, he says big proposals have come in health, tourism, plastic waste treatment and printing and publishing sectors.
Another top-order project is the state-sponsored airline proposal with private participation.
The state already has successful ventures such as the country’s first PPP airport, the Cochin international airport, and the International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadam.
Hopes also rest on the proposed Vizhinjam terminal and Petronet LNG terminal, expected to go on stream this year, and related pipeline being laid by Gas Authority of India.
The proposed 1,200-MW power plant, part of the LNG regasification plant, and the expansion of NTPC at Kayamkulam would plus power deficit.

Ongoing Kochi Metro Rail and proposed monorail projects for Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode are aimed at tackling infrastructure bottlenecks.

Besides, the spice and marine sectors throw up big opportunities in processing as the present capacity is underutilised.

A section of the industry feels that the global financial turmoil may blunt advantages.
But a leading industrialist differs: “Overseas investors and entrepreneurs, who get poor return on investments in Europe or the US, will be interested in setting up business
in Kerala if assured of proper returns.”