The State government is engaging business leaders and diplomats ahead of ‘Emerging Kerala', the business and investment jamboree it hosts later this year.
The Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, and the Industries Minister, Mr P. K. Kunhalikutty, will travel to New Delhi later this week to push the agenda.
SUSTAINED CAMPAIGN
This would also mark the launch of a six-month-long sustained campaign ahead of a major investment branding exercise, an official said here.
On Friday, the Chief Minister and the Industries Minister, along with senior officials, will meet ambassadors and high commissioners of over 30 countries in New Delhi.
They will also meet representatives of multilateral and bilateral agencies for discussions.
Among those joining the team are several Union Ministers; Mr T. K. A. Nair, Advisor to the Prime Minister; Mr K. M. Chandrasekhar, Vice-Chairman, State Planning Board.
‘Emerging Kerala' will be a three-day opportunity for business leaders, investors and policymakers to connect with the State.
CII, NASSCOM JOIN
To be held in Kochi in September, the event will offer a platform for two-way discussions and bilateral trade.
A series of interactive sessions, domestic and international road-shows, business meets and conclaves have been lined up ahead of the event.
Emerging Kerala is being organised in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry and the National Association of Software and Services Companies. Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation is the nodal agency.
ENABLING POLICIES
The goal is to catalyse growth through enabling policies and to facilitate an environment for investment, said Mr Alkesh Sharma, Managing Director, KSIDC. Emerging Kerala is intended as a biennial event, he added.
This year the emphasis will be on a review of the State's successful social model to see if it can be adapted to achieve sustainable economic growth.
EASING PROCEDURES
Top on the priority list is easing regulatory procedures for investors. The single window clearance system for industrial projects is going online; growth-inhibiting legislations are getting reviewed.
A State-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary now looks into each new project and approve special facilitation, incentives and concessions.