AP giving priority to manufacturing industry: Minister

Hyderabad, July 25 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Major Industries Minister J Geeta Reddy today said Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was giving priority to manufacturing industry, which was necessary for job creation and balanced growth, besides encouraging service sector.

Speaking at V Edition of Leadership Series on ''Manufacturing Excellence -- MAN EXE 2008 -- the winning edge through innovation,'' organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here, Ms Reddy said the State was most sought-after destination for manufacturing sector as well as IT and ITES industry.

Stating that ''innovation is key to the future development and we must continue to improve ability,'' she urged the manufacturing industry to excel globally so that the state would grow rapidly.

Satyam Chairman and Managing Director B Ramalinga Raju said ''we should focus on building capacity. We have access to knowledge but we don't have capacity to reach the speed we need in manufacturing sector.

''Eductional institutions can only build the capacity. If they build the required capacity, the transformation in industry will be enormous,'' he added.

UNI AP MDG GM 1341