T’puram: Minister for industries P K Kunhalikutty said that the state’s industrial investment policies will continue despite change in govt.Speaking at a consultation with industry stakeholders organised by the Kerala state industrial development corporation on Tuesday, Kunhalikutty affirmed the state’s commitment to providing policy stability for investors.“Ministries may come and go, but policies will stay. The projects announced under the Invest Kerala initiative would continue as planned”, he said.The govt is all set to roll out three major initiatives —the Investment Advisory Council, Invest Kerala Cell and Kerala Desks abroad– as part of govt’s 100-day programme.The Invest Kerala Cell, to be housed within KSIDC, will act as a single-point contact for investors for offering end-to-end handholding through dedicated relationship managers. The cell will assist investors with land identification, statutory clearances, financing support, project facilitation and coordination across government departments.The govt is also working on a comprehensive investment ecosystem aimed at transforming the state from a remittance-dependent economy to an investment-led growth model, he said.The industry feedback will be sought before finalising the initiatives, which are expected to be implemented through executive orders and legislative measures, he said.About the state’s investment agenda, Kunhalikutty said the govt is taking steps to establish a board and a council for investment promotion, while according the highest priority to ease of doing business reforms.“Kerala is now widely regarded as one of the most suitable destinations for starting businesses and making investments. The state is the go-to destination for industries in India now,” he said.He said that investor grievances have come down significantly, aided by improvements in technology and infrastructure and the state has seen substantial growth in the IT and technology sectors.“If we can further strengthen skill development in these sectors, the state can emerge as one of India’s most important investment destinations,” he said.“Investments will be welcomed irrespective of political affiliations, whether they come from supporters of the ruling party or the opposition,” he said.The proposed Investment Advisory Council, to be chaired by chief minister, will provide strategic policy guidance and serve as a structured platform for industry leaders to present recommendations directly to the government, he added.To strengthen overseas engagement, the govt plans to establish Kerala Desks abroad in Dubai, London, New York, Singapore and Tokyo.During the interaction, industry stakeholders urged the govt to take the lead in creating a Land Bank to promote industrial development, grant statutory status to KSIDC, ensure time-bound approvals from pollution control board and department of mining and geology and address shortcomings in the K-SWIFT portal to enable faster clearances, establish a specialised unit for industry and information technology as part of the Mission Samudra and greater clarity in labour code.
