The Hindu Business Line : Kerala Govt organises B2B meet for small, medium units

THE Kerala Government is organising a business-to-business meet here during September 6-8 to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the State to showcase their wares and access international markets.

The objective of the meet is to provide a platform for the industrial units to have in-depth interaction and one to one meetings with buyers, industrialists and trade associations from India and abroad, said Mr Ibrahim Kunju, State Industries Minister, at a press conference here today.

The Kerala Business to Business Meet 2005 is the second such event, after the first B2B meet held last year proved to be encouraging, the Minister said.

"By the time the (previous) meet concluded, many of the sellers were able to bag orders from national and international buyers," he said.

This year's meet will focus on key sectors in the State, such as coir and handicrafts, handloom, textiles and garments, processed food and spices, construction materials, wood and interior decorations, herbal, ayurveda and pharmaceuticals, rubber and rubber products and printing and packaging.

The event is expected to have nearly 250 sellers and as many buyers, said Mr T. Balakrishnan, Principal Secretary, Industries. He said last year's meet had resulted in generating business worth Rs 8 crore for the participants, mainly in areas such as coir, handlooms and spices.

"This year we expect the business to go up by at least 25 per cent," Mr Balakrishnan said, adding that textile and handloom sectors holds better prospects this year as the international quota regime has now been lifted.

Around 50 international buyers are expected to participate in the meet.

Also, representatives of leading global retail chains such as Carrefour and IKEA have confirmed their participation.

International buyers would include those from countries such as the UK, China, Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Canada, South Africa and Kenya. Companies such as Larsen and Toubro, Novartis, Hindalco, Toyota and Videocon International would also participate in the meet.

The event is being organised by Department of Industries, in association with Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, Confederation of Indian Industry and Kerala Small Scale Industries Association (KSSIA).

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