The Hindu Business Line : NORKA seminar on investment prospects

THE Department of Non Resident Keralites' Affairs (NORKA) is organising a two-day exhibition-cum-seminar here under the aegis of the ROOTS-NRK Development Initiative, aimed at boosting entrepreneurial activities among non-resident Keralites.

The event, to be held on September 17 and 18, will seek to co-ordinate different departments and agencies within and outside the Government to help NRKs identify investment opportunities in various sectors, said Mr Satish Nambudiripad, Chief Executive of ROOTS-NRK Development Initiative, the field agency under the Department of NORKA.

With specific focus on small to medium scale investments, the meet would showcase investment avenues in sectors such as food processing & animal husbandry, horticulture, ayurveda & herbal, IT & IT-enabled services, hospitality & tourism and entertainment, Mr Nambudiripad said at a press conference.

Project proposals suited for NRK investment will be showcased during the event, being organised with the support and assistance of ICICI Kinfra Ltd, he said. The venue is Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

"We are targeting those NRKs who plan to return to the state in the next 4-5 years or those who have already been here. Many of them are looking for avenues for investments," he said.

The NRKs attending the meet could obtain pertinent information and assistance for their investment proposals within the identified sectors. In the light of NRK proposals received in the meet, ROOTS will help them by co-ordinating various government departments so as to make their projects executable.

Though there aren't any official data, it is estimated that about seven lakh Keralites have returned from abroad, mostly from the Gulf countries. Every year 60,000 to 70,000 Keralites return from abroad for good, it is estimated.

The member agencies participating at the event are from segments such as the government, research & development, entrepreneurship development, funding agencies and those offering land.

They would showcase their products tailor-made for NRK involvement in terms of land available, R&D practices that could be adopted, special schemes for NRKs, funding packages for start-ups, specific projects, etc.

Some of the prominent member agencies at the event are the State Industries Department, Department of Agriculture, Department of Tourism, Department of Local Self Government, KINFRA Film and Video Park, C-Dit, Small Industries Development Bank of India, State Bank of Travancore and entrepreneurship development institutions such as IT Mission and Kudumbasree.