The State government will consider setting up suitable systems and processes to create and develop entrepreneurship.
Additional Chief Secretary V. Somasundaram said this here while addressing a workshop on ‘Entrepreneur-friendly emerging Kerala.’
OPTIMISM ABOUNDS
K.M. Chandrashekar, Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board, said in his address that there was great deal of optimism about entrepreneurship in the state as compared to nineties. He called for the need to meet the challenges of emerging demographic trends in the State.
Leading industrialists, entrepreneurs, senior officials from infrastructure and development agencies of the state government, financial institutions and prominent banks attended the workshop.
The State chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) hosted the workshop, which reviewed the existing entrepreneurial infrastructure in the state, access to funding, education and training besides sector-specific issues of the State.
CRITICAL ISSUES
The workshop was divided into different sessions and eminent panellists addressed critical issues with respect to their chosen areas. It was felt that successful entrepreneurs and models should be showcased to motivate new generation.
The story of how Kerala tourism was effectively promoted through the Kerala Travel Mart in the last decade came up for special mention in the context.
Wealth creation and profit-making needed to be appreciated, the panellists felt. Creating an entrepreneurial culture is very important to emerging Kerala. The high human development index enjoyed by the State is going to be an asset for future enterprises here.
IMAGE CHANGE
The State has to undergo an image makeover through which it is projected as a place for people to live, invest and holiday, speakers pointed out.
Among them were T. Balakrishnan, managing director, Inkel Kerala; John K. Paul, president of TiE Kerala; C. Balagopal, managing director, Terumo Penpol and coordinator of the workshop; G. Vijayaraghavan, member, state planning board; Alkesh Sharma, managing director, Kerala State Industries Development Corporation (KSIDC); Jose Dominic, managing director, CGH Earth; Shivadas B. Menon, managing director, Sterling Farm Research and Services; E. M. Najeeb, chairman, ATE; Rajesh Nair, vice-president, Ernst & Young; P. Nandakumar, executive director, KSIDC; Mr Murali Gopal, senior vice president, UST Global.
During the event, deputy chairman of the state planning board released a brochure of TiEcon Kerala 2012, a conference of entrepreneurs scheduled to be held at Kochi on October 25 and 26.