Addressing the 116th Annual General Meeting of the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) in Chennai, Srinivas highlighted the importance of creating an enabling ecosystem for MSMEs through industrial parks, common facilities, access to finance and innovation.
He said the state was also looking to connect its enterprises with global markets by leveraging opportunities such as the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the strength of the Indian diaspora.
“Our focus is to create an ecosystem where enterprises can find the support, knowledge and opportunities they need to grow,” Srinivas added.
The minister also underlined the role of entrepreneurship and employment in strengthening the state and the nation, saying that creating opportunities for entrepreneurship, employment and higher incomes could enable households to contribute meaningfully to economic growth.
Srinivas pointed out that Andhra Pradesh was taking steps to create an enabling ecosystem for MSMEs through industrial parks, common facilities, access to finance and innovation.
The AGM was held at Hotel Leela Palace, Chennai, and brought together industry leaders and stakeholders to discuss priorities for strengthening the business and economic ecosystem in southern India.
SICCI President Arun Alagappan said India’s ambition for 2047 would depend significantly on its small enterprises. “What is needed now is for government and industry to move together — enterprise by enterprise, cluster by cluster and district by district,” he said.
The minister also presented medals and certificates to students from institutions including the University of Madras, Annamalai University, Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Thiagaraja College and Bharathidasan University in recognition of their academic excellence.