Global
Investor Meet
The
first-ever Global Investor Meet (GIM), organized by the Kerala Government,
was held at the International Convention Centre, Kochi from January
18-19, 2003. The event – promoted by the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure
Development Corporation (Kinfra), Kerala State Industrial Development
Corporation, Technopark and Kerala Bureau of Industrial promotion –
was a culmination of a massive promotional pitch by the State Government
and was preceded during the past year by road shows in India and abroad.
Inaugurated by the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Meet was
attended by nearly 1,500 business delegates from various countries including
the United States, European countries, Gulf nations and from other Indian
states.
As
many as 100 projects in various sectors ranging from infrastructure,
ports, power, health, education, agribusiness and food processing, to
tourism sectors were submitted and discussed in the Meet.
The
government also highlighted the State’s advantages in geographic location,
resource base, its large pool of trained manpower, favourable industrial
and labour policies, political consensus and dynamic leadership.
The
food sector was projected as an area where Kerala has core strength.
Projects for food processing parks at Adoor and Palai were presented,
as also schemes for bio-technology parks at Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi
and herbal parks at Wayanad and Kannur. Ajayakumar, Secretary (Industries),
Kerala gave presentations on this sector and invited investments in
“a sector that commands Rs 5,000 crore in exports today and holds out
the promise of Rs 30,000 crore.”
Mr
Ajayakumar also mentioned the various positive aspects of the growth
of the food processing sector in the State. Its strategic geographic
location that provided a “gateway to the Gulf and Europe Pacific,” and
also Kerala’s popularity for its high quality tea, areca nut, spices,
traditional herbals, and a wide assortment of spice cultivation, was
brought out clearly by him.
The
Global Investor Meet was successful in attracting investments to the
tune of 26,000 crore. Memorandum of understandings were signed for 97
projects that add up to 11,163,45 crore. The Meet was also successful
in luring investors to the food processing sector in the State.
The
Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation signed a MoU with the
Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages to set up a Rs 30 crore project for the
manufacture of packaged fruit juices, concentrates and allied products.
Other investments in this sector were for an edible oil refinery unit
at Kochi, organic speciality coffee and tea at Palakkad, integrated
food processing at Aroor, herbal plants and processing unit. Along with
this investment was garnered for a pineapple processing and an industrial
development area that comprises units for sea food processing, vegetable
processing, a 3500 tonnes cold storage facility, distribution of ice
cream and other food products.
