The Hindu Business Line : Ceramic industry poised for a leap: YSR

THE CHIEF MINISTER, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, releasing a souvenir at the inauguration of CeraTec 2007 in Visakhapatnam on Monday. The CMD of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Mr Y. Sivasagara Rao (extreme right), and the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, Dr L. Venugopala Reddy, are also seen. - K.R. Deepak

Visakhapatnam , Jan 8

The ceramic industry in Andhra Pradesh is poised to grow by leaps and bounds and the State Government will extend all necessary support to it, said Chief Minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

He was speaking at the engineering college of Andhra University after inaugurating Ceratec 2007, an international seminar on ceramics, organised by the Indian Ceramic Society, the All-India Pottery Manufacturers' Association and the Indian Institute of Ceramics.

The three-day seminar was sponsored by the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and co-sponsored by Andhra University.

Dr Reddy said that the huge gas find in the Krishna-Godavari basin was very encouraging.

Reliance and other companies would start commercial production by 2008 and the ceramic industry in the State would have plenty of cheap fuel.

"The power tariff in Andhra Pradesh is also one of the lowest in the country and therefore, many ceramic units can come up. Besides, there is plenty of quality raw material available in the State for the industry."

He also said that with the expansion of the steel plant capacity there would be greater scope for setting up ceramic units in the vicinity of Vizag. He called for synergy between the steel plant, the ceramic industry and the University.

The Chief Minister promised all efforts to upgrade, or upscale, the facilities in the engineering college to that of an IIT.

"The State Government is making sincere efforts for the establishment of an IIM here. We are proposing to allocate 500-1,000 acres near Vizag for setting up an education district so that foreign Universities can set up their branches."

Dr Reddy emphasised the need to develop human resource potential in the State.

"The graduates being churned out by the colleges should be employable. There should be greater co-ordination between the industry and academic institutions."

Earlier, Mr Y. Sivasagara Rao, Chairman and Managing Director of the Steel Plant, urged the Chief Minister to allocate land for the proposed ceramic city in the vicinity of Vizag.

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