CII to submit policy recommendations to T.N. government to develop four key sectors in Coimbatore

CII Coimbatore plans to come out with policy recommendations for foundries, pumps, motors, infrastructure and ICT sectors to attract investments to Coimbatore in these areas. The suggestions will be submitted to the Tamil Nadu government in three months

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Coimbatore, plans to submit to the Tamil Nadu government, policy recommendations for four sectors that are critical for the economic growth of Coimbatore district.

K. Senthil Ganesh, chairman of CII, Coimbatore, told The Hindu on Friday that the efforts to come out with policy recommendations are part of its ‘Coimbatore Next’ initiative that aims to “reimagine Coimbatore’s potential.”

The CII will work with the Padmavathy Centre of Public Policy to being out policy suggestions for motors and pumps, infrastructure, foundries and the ICT (information and communications technology) sectors.

Round tables were held with stakeholders in the foundries, motors and pumps and infrastructure sectors. “There are a lot of opportunities and challenges for these industries in Coimbatore,” Mr. Ganesh said. The effort is to analyse these, and submit policy suggestions as there are “topical issues that need to be addressed in each sector,” he said.

Kalpana Gopalan, a retired IAS officer and chairperson of the Padmavathy Centre of Public Policy, said the efforts will be to study the present status of the sector, its achievements so far, and solutions from policy makers to give the sector a thrust for further growth. Policy advocacy will be right from the local body to the State or Central governments for Coimbatore-specific issues for each of these sectors, he said.

“We have not (so far) gone into specific sectors...We plan to bring out policy briefs for each of the identified sectors and submit them to the State government. These will be followed up,” added Mr. Ganesh.

The CII Coimbatore launched Coimbatore Next last year to attract new investments and also to enable existing ventures to leap forward.