'Make in India' programme needs more clarity: K'taka Minister

New Delhi, Sept 10: 'Make in India' initiative "sounds good to ears" but the Centre needs to provide more clarity, Karnataka Industries Minister R V Deshpande said today.

"We support Make in India, it sounds good to ears but still we do not find clarity on it, the government should come with clarity on this programme," Deshpande, who is a minister in the Congress-ruled state government, said at an Assocham conference.

He added: "We have had very encouraging discussions with investors here about starting operations in Karnataka. It is our promise that we will ensure maximum ease of doing business for these companies who together would invest around Rs 2,500 crore across sectors."

He further said that the Karnataka government will extend all support in terms of incentives and concessions to the industry for making investments.

With more and more states across India competing with each other in cornering investment, Deshpande urged the industry to consider factors like infrastructure, human resource, ease of doing business and good investor relations while making investments in any state and not merely ask for incentives and concessions.

"Karnataka will assure what it can implement and not make tall promises, we will ensure that those willing to make investments in the state make great fortunes," he said.

The Minister added that he would prefer listening to the industry leaders rather than the bureaucrats while drafting various industrial policies.

The Karnataka government is working on a policy to promote start-ups and entrepreneurship in the state. Besides, state authorities is consulting various stakeholders and seeking industry's suggestions as it is working on a new food processing policy, he added.

PTI