Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra has said that Kerala harboured the potential to emerge as a global hub for green business and a haven for sustainable enterprises, with its commitment to environment, emphasis on human development and clean mobility initiatives. He called on the State “to think big” in this regard.
There is a tectonic shift in businesses towards sustainability over profitability. Even consumers demand that. “Consumer capitalism” was a fact and consumers supported businesses that were sustainable, he said, while addressing the special industries session at Kerala Looks Ahead, an international conference being organised by the State Planning Board, on Wednesday.
He underlined Kerala’s emphasis on human development, the speed with which it acted in initiating electric mobility and the State’s emphasis on preserving its environment. Those were features that held great promise as the State went ahead, he said.
Ratan Tata, the chairman of Tata Trusts, said Kerala had followed an industrial policy without hurting its environment and that it should continue its policies without hurting the environment.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairperson and managing director of Biocon Limited, said Kerala should look ahead with confidence, combining its human resource and skilled manpower with emerging areas in biomedical research. She said the Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram cancer research facilities could emerge as leading centres and Kerala could attain a premium position in the area. She also commended Kerala’s position as an Ayurveda destination and its start-up atmosphere.
Kris Gopalakrishnan, chairman of Axilor Ventures, said Kerala could emerge as a 21st century model for development. Consumption-led capital had failed. It had resulted in widening inequality, but Kerala could, by way of leveraging technology and promoting micro, small and medium enterprises, create wealth and achieve equitable distribution.
M.A. Yusuff Ali, chairman of the LuLu Group, called for the creation of an export promotion council to encourage and broaden the export base of the State.
B. Ravi Pillai, chairman of RP Group, called for a campaign to spread the fame of Kerala’s tourism assets such as its beaches.
Azad Moopen, chairman of Aster DM Healthcare, said Kerala was set to be the destination for investments in the country. He also called for a NRK (Non-Resident Keralite) smart city, complete with a university to cater to the needs of expatriates.
