The Hindu Business Line : `Coimbatore can lead India as creative product developer'

MR L.G. VARADARAJULU (second from right), Chairman, Elgi group, Coimbatore, going round the stalls after inaugurating the `Intec 2006' fair in Coimbatore on Friday. — Siva Saravanan

Coimbatore , July 7

India should reposition itself from being a low-cost producer/service provider to a `creative and innovative product developer' and Coimbatore is well equipped to lead the country to achieve this goal, according to Mr Jayakumar Ramdass, Chairman, CII, Coimbatore Zone.

But if India is to sustain its growth, it is critical to adopt policies to conserve natural resources since the country is fast depleting its natural wealth and the Indian industry should become `environmentally responsible', he said.

Speaking at the inaugural function of the 9th International Industrial Trade Fair (Intec 2006) organised by the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (Codissia) here on Friday, he said the growth in the agriculture sector during the current year was expected to be good because of the normal monsoon.

The manufacturing sector was likely to show a 9.1 per cent growth and the growth of service sector might be higher at 9.9 per cent during this year.

He said most of the growth in the past was triggered by the cost advantage offered by the country. But, he said, the next phase of growth should be through innovation and India should reposition itself from being a low-cost producer to a `creative and innovative product developer'.

He felt that Coimbatore with its entrepreneurial zeal and immense pool of skilled manpower was well positioned to take up this responsibility in leading the country through innovation.

Natural resources

India has been using natural resources `much more than what it should and what it can afford to'. The carbon emission rate in the country has `almost doubled' in the last 20 years and the oil consumption of India and China in the next 20 years was expected to equal the current oil consumption of the entire world. The water demand of these two countries in the next two decades would be three times the current world consumption. He said there was very clear need for sustainability of growth and Indian industry `has to be more environmentally responsible'.

Mr L.G. Varadarajulu, Chairman, Elgi group, Coimbatore, who inaugurated Intec 2006, said many foreign companies such as GE have zeroed in on Coimbatore for outsourcing and due to the efforts of CII, Coimbatore was also shaping up as an IT hub.

Mr C.R. Swaminathan, President, Southern India Engineering Manufacturers' Association (Siema), Coimbatore, said the initiative of Codissia in organising the fair had drawn all round appreciation and he requested that if possible each fair may be dedicated in memory of the person who had made fair possible for the future generation to appreciate the contribution made by them.

Mr K.V. Ganapathi, Chairman, INTEC 2006, said the fair has attracted participation from eleven countries - Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and the US. The total number of participants was 402, with nearly one fourth of them coming from Coimbatore alone.

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