‘Rising Kerala’ aims to kick off seven small industries’ growth

“It was the footwear industry exhibition held at Kozhikode in 2006 that triggered the development of Kozhikode as a major footwear hub of the country,” says V Naushad, general convenor of the ‘Rising Kerala’ industrial exhibition to be held at Kozhikode on November 25-26.

“We hope that what the 2006 exhibition did to the footwear industry. the Rising Kerala event will do to plastics, food processing and other sectors, particularly in the Northern Kerala region.”

His own company, the VKC group that makes VKC brand of footwear, was a major beneficiary of the 2006 exhibition as it exposed manufacturers to new technologies, new markets and new entrepreneurial approaches.

It has been a double-digit growth for Kerala’s footwear industry, centered on Kozhikode, in the years since 2006 and total turnover of Kozhikode’s footwear sector nearly doubled in just the past two years, Naushad pointed out.

Rising Kerala is a series of events starting with a lead summit on September 28 and ending with a two-day exhibition on November 25-26. A number of sector-wise seminars and consultations will be held to guide entrepreneurs over four weeks.

“We are aiming to create a new entrepreneurial culture in the State and to attract a wave of new and young entrepreneurs into the seven identified sectors,” Naushad said.

Rising Kerala will focus on seven sectors – footwear, plastics, wood and furniture, building materials, food processing, IT-ITES and light engineering.

“We hope the exhibition and related events will bring a sea change in these sectors across the State,” he said.

The Kerala State Small Industries Association, which oragnises the exhibition, aims to introduce these seven high-growth-potential sectors to new technologies and new markets and inspire a paradigm shift in production and management.

Naushad noted that these sectors fitted well into Kerala’s kind of industrial development. It would also give a roadmap to current entrepreneurs and provide orientation to new ones. The event will help new and young entrepreneurs to come on board, he added.

Another segment of entrepreneurs who Rising Kerala will focus on would be NRIs returning to Kerala to set up enterprises. “Though they have a lot of enthusiasm and capital, they need guidance,” he said.

After the month-long events, an action plan would be drawn up for the growth of these sectors for two years and a collective effort would be launched to put the plan to practice.

The September 28 lead summit, where industrial leaders would converge, will be opened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.