CII evolves 10-point agenda for promotion of southern states

Chennai, Jun 27 (UNI) Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), southern region, will focus on a ten-point agenda and implement the key recommendations of 'Vision 2025' document towards making southern region a front-runner in socio-economic development.

''Skills and employability, infrastructure development, promotion of MSMEs, development of tier II and III cities, agriculture and education were some of the thrust areas to be focused on to accelerate the growth of southern states,'' CII Chairman, southern region, B V R Mohan Reddy told newspersons here today after unveiling the theme for the year - 'South India @ 75 - The Emerging Agenda.' ''The CII, southern region, would be setting up a task force to take forward the key recommendations of Vision quarter one, a 'visioning exercise' for the southern states and align the visioning exercise with Prof C K Prahalad's National Vision on 'India@75,' he added.

He said the key focus areas of the Vision 2025 document, included thrust on agriculture growth, skills, employability and manpower development, enhancing MSMEs' competitiveness, building inclusive cities and focus on sustainable development.

Dr Reddy said CII's initative would ensure that over 25,000 school dropouts in the southern states were trained on work skills and modular employable skills.

It would adopt 92 ITIs in the region for upgradation through PPP scheme and train about 5,000 faculty members on 'soft skills' through industry-university consortium across the region, he said, adding it would also work for the introduction of 'soft skills' as choice-based credit system in 15 universities in Tamil Nadu and set up a skills academy at Chennai.'' Dr Reddy said CII believes that tier II and III cities such as Hosur, Erode, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Belgaum and Kottayam were the new destination for investments and the growth engines of economy.

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