British Deputy High Commissioner Bharat Joshi has urged the business leaders of the State to collaborate with the United Kingdom to mitigate the impact of climate change.
He was addressing business leaders at an interactive session on Business Connect Opportunities: UK and Kerala, jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), here on Tuesday.
Mr. Joshi said the issue of climate change had immense relevance for Kerala, which valued its biodiversity. Moreover, the large number of people depending on agriculture for livelihood and those residing in coastal areas necessitated the need for mitigating the effects of climate change such as floods. The UK government was willing to extend all possible support for the cause. A coalition of business leaders in the State was also crucial for the success of such an initiative, he said.
Mr. Joshi was of the view that the State was “India’s best-kept secret” with several sectors having great potentials yet to receive the widespread attention they deserved.
He added that the United Kingdom was also interested in partnering India in addressing the challenges of urbanisation. Mr. Joshi pointed out that an urban plan for Aluva, titled ‘Framework for Future Proof’, was handed over to the State government on Monday. The projects included in the framework included those for better sanitation facilities, waste segregation and road safety systems.
Potential areas
Delivering a special address on the occasion, KSIDC Managing Director M. Beena said that efforts were being made in collaboration with the CII in overcoming the bureaucratic hassles that existed in setting up business ventures.
She also said that there were various emerging sectors such as Ayurveda and medical tourism in the State that had tremendous potential for investment.
“This was primarily because expenses of medical treatment were far lower than in the European countries. At the same time, the State has also been known for providing high quality medical care,” she said.
She also elaborated on the upcoming industrial ventures of the government including the mega food park at Cherthala, the Bio 360 Life Sciences Park at Thonakkal, Light Engineering Industrial Park at Palakkad.
CII Kerala State council chairman Hari Krishnan Nair, CII Kerala past chairman P. Ganesh and Sandy Sheard, counsellor and head, Energy, Climate and Growth unit, British High Commission, also spoke on the occasion.
