The Hindu Business Line : Centre sanctions Rs 29 cr for ayurveda cluster in Thrissur

Dr Christy Fernandez, Additional Secretary at the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said the amount has been sanctioned under the Central Government's Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme.

The ayurveda cluster, which is expected to involve an initial investment of Rs 40 crore, is part of a public-private partnership to develop a Kerala brand of ayurvedic products and promote the State as a global destination for ayurvedic products.

The cluster will be implemented by the Confederation for Ayurvedic Renaissance Keralam Pvt Ltd (CARe-Keralam), a joint venture between the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA), the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) and a group of major private-sector ayurveda products manufacturers.

Facilities at the cluster, which will be set up at the KINFRA industries park at Koratty in Thrissur, include a common R&D centre, a documentation centre to build a knowledge database of ayurvedic products, a herbal nursery and quality control laboratories.

The Government has also sanctioned funds under the Assistance to States for Developing Export Infrastructure and Allied Activities (ASIDE) Scheme for developing export infrastructure at three fishing harbours — Beypore, Puthiappa and Shaktikulangara — in Kerala, Dr Fernandez said.

The Centre has sanctioned around Rs 2 crore under the ASIDE Scheme for improving the infrastructure in the Seafood Park at Aroor in Alappuzha district, Dr Fernandez told Business Line. This grant will be used to set up a pre-processing plant and a full-fledged testing laboratory in the Seafood Park, he added.

The Seafood Park is a joint venture involving KINFRA, the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) and various seafood exporters.

The country's exports — excluding the services sector — in the last fiscal were $82 billion against the target of $70 billion, said Dr Fernandez. Based on this performance, the export target for the current financial year has been revised to $92 billion, he said.

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