New indl policy to focus on manufacturing sector

Bangalore, Jan 19: After emerging as the leader in promoting the IT, ITeS and BPO sector, Karnataka would now specifically focus on the manufacturing sector to build a strong diversified industrial base, Minister for Large and medium industries Katta Subramanya Naidu said today.

Speaking at the special plenary on Karnataka at the CII Partnership Summit here, he said the new industrial policy brought out late last year would propel the state to become a front runner in high-skill and high-technology manufacturing as it was in the knowledge sectors.

The minister said Karnataka, which was the first state to set up an Electronic City and a software technology park, had achieved nine billion us dollars of IT exports and most of the top international companies in the IT sector had set up their offices in the state, mostly in Bangalore which had emerged as IT hub of the nation.

IT industry apart, it had also emerged as a most favoured destination for aerospace, apparel, automobile and petro-based industry. Human capital enhancement was given top priority in the stae which was already emerged as a major state that had reputed institutes in higher learning and research, and offered better educational standards.

It had continuously surpassed the national growth rate of 30 per cent in the IT sector. In other industrial sectors, while the national growth was at 4.4 per cent the state had achieved 15.2 per cent. "The IT industry has truly been a role model for development based on partnership", he said.

He said the new focus of the JD (S)-BJP coalition government in the state had been to develop human resource and skill development to prepare itself to offer the best manpower to the multinational players who wanted to set up industries in the state.

The government promoted two and three tier cities in a big way by inviting industries to secondary cities like Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli and Gulbarga in a big way. Availability of land was not a problem and investors could avail various sops like no stamp duty or land conversion charges in rural areas.

The key to the new industrial policy was also to establish sufficient infrastructure take care of current as well as future needs as roads and airports had become a critical issue in further development of the state.

"We are pro-active and pro-development. We are a very good government that will appeal the good people like you to bring in good industries to this state. You can stay assured that you will get a solid backing from this government," he told the investors that included nearly 750 from different parts of the world.

He said Karnataka offered an investment destination like no other place in the country and the government was committed to build a welcoming, facilitative and enabling environment for investments.

"I urge you to join hands with us to make Karnataka the growth pole of the emerging India", he added.

UNI

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