Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore   

Time to restore State's glory in manufacturing: CII chief

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Dec. 15. The construction equipment and machinery industry has put up its largest and also the most impressive show here focussing on the development of infrastructure.

The Minister for Large and Medium-scale Industries, R.V.Deshpande, inaugurated the four-day Second International Trade Fair on Construction Equipment and Construction Technologies (EXCON-2002) at the Bangalore Palace Grounds here today. The Chief Minister, S.M.Krishna, who was to have inaugurated the exhibition could not be present.

Organised jointly by the Karnataka Government and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the event has attracted 125 exhibitors.

The inaugural session was notable for the remark of the President of the CII , Ashok Soota, that while IT, biotechnology, and other services had catapulted Karnataka into global prominence, it was also time to restore the glory of manufacturing back to the State. Mr. Soota said that even Bangalore was groaning under infrastructure deficiencies. The situation in other parts of the State was more worrying. About the power situation, Mr. Soota said that Karnataka should shift its attention to distribution and decentralisation of generation.

In his inaugural address, which was read out by Mr. Deshpande, Mr. Krishna said that the exhibition had provided a forum for manufacturers and users in the construction equipment industry to come together. The use of sophisticated equipment and machinery played a pivotal role in the core infrastructure sectors such as power, transport, railways, roads, ports, civil aviation, inland waterways, telecommunication, and urban and rural development. But unfortunately, the level of mechanisation in the Indian construction industry was as low as 15 to 20 per cent as against the international standard of 60 to 70 per cent.

The Government was committed to working in partnership with the industry. He noted that over the years the CII had supported the Government in formulating policies such as those related to IT, automobile sector, financial, and taxation policies. The general deceleration in industrial activity had had its impact on Karnataka too. The setback to the Asian economies and the financial crisis had added to the problems of the core sector industries such as power, steel, cement, and automobiles. The State had announced its industrial policy for 2001-06 aiming at a growth rate of 10 to 12 per cent. The general economic growth rate was projected at eight to nine per cent.

Mr. Krishna said that the Government was committed to providing high quality industrial infrastructure at competitive rates to make the State's industries globally competitive. The Government would establish industrial townships at major locations such as the special economic zone at Hassan, hardware technology park in Bangalore, the apparel export parks in Bangalore and Bellary, an export promotion industrial park at Mangalore, a knowledge park and a financial district near Bangalore.

In his speech, Mr. Deshpande agreed that there was a criticism that there was concentration of industries in Bangalore. The Government wanted to bring about dispersal.

The permanent exhibition complex would be ready by April 2003. Its construction was being assisted by the International Trade Fair Organisation. Mr. Deshpande said that he was the author of industrial policies adopted in 1996 and 2001. The former had laid stress on incentives and the latter on development of infrastructure, human resource development, and research.

The Chairman of EXCON-2002, Sarosh J.Ghandy, said that among the participants in the exhibition were 40 who were launching their products in the Indian market for the first time. It was a record for such an exhibition.

In his keynote address, Herbert L.Henkel, President and CEO, Ingersoll-Rand Company, said that the rapid pace of development of road infrastructure in India was throwing up opportunities for manufacturers, contractors, and others.

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