TN Minister assures all help to Japanese investors

Chennai, June 14: Tamil Nadu Rural and Small Industries Minister Pongalur N Palanisami has urged Japanese investors to make the state their 'preferred investment destination' and assured them all help from the state government.

At a seminar ''Outsourcing opportunities between small and medium enterprises in Japan and Tamil Nadu,'' organised by the Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry here yesterday, Mr Palanisami said Japanese investors should capitalise on the investor-friendly climate in Tamil Nadu.

Listing out the steps taken by the state government to promote small and medium enterprises, he said during 2007-08, the State Industrial Development Corporation (SIDCO) would set up industrial estates at Thiruvarur, Villupuram, Perambalur, Pollupalli-Krishnagiri, Oragadam-Kancheepuram, Kakkalur Phase-II-Thiruvallur, Sankagiri-Salem, Sedapatti-Madurai, Modakurichi-Erode and Bargur Part-II-Krishnagiri.

He said the SIDCO also plans to construct multi-storey buildings at three places near Chennai for housing small units.

Of the 50 clusters identified for promotion, 15 would be taken up during 2007-08.

Consul-General of Japan in Chennai Kazuo Minagawa said small and medium units played a pivotal role in Tamil Nadu, one of the largest and fast growing economies in India.

He said there was a huge outsourcing potential for the units in Japan and Tamil Nadu.

The number of Japanese companies, which invested in India had increased by 50 per cent and 350 of them were small and medium units.

National Confederation of Small Industries President D E Ramakrishnan wanted the IJCCI to set up an SME desk for furthering the cause of small units in the state and also to play the role of a catalyst with the SMEs in Japan.

UNI