CII (SR) proved its alacrity again. The organised first celebration of CII 125.
The timing was ahead of the budget, which is bound to take all attention after its presentation on 1 February. Regional Director, Sathish Raman and the managing committee presented the Governor and the Chief Minister of the state, reinforcing its close rapport with the TN government.’
The meeting showed the camaraderie and cohesiveness of the organisation again. It was attended by five past and current Presidents, 10 past chairpersons of CII, southern region and over a dozen past chairpersons of state chapters. The CII speakers included current President, Vikram Kirloskar (from Karnataka), past President, R Seshasayee (from Tamil Nadu) and another past President and the lone woman to head CII in its 125 years, Shobana Kamineni (from AP).
Governor Banwarilal Purohit listed several measures of the governments, both at the Centre and Tamil Nadu, designed to attract investments and expand exports. The Governor, as Chancellor of several universities of Tamil Nadu, has done commendable work in streamlining the appointment of vice-chancellors and in tackling the cancerous issue of corruption. He invited business leaders to involve closely with Anna University, with which over 600 engineering colleges have been affiliated and help orient the syllabus to the industry’s requirements.
CM on ease of doing business
Chief Minister EK Palaniswami has been actively engaged in industrial development, expanding his horizons by visits to development projects in foreign countries (this initiative was absent earlier since 1967) and building on the success of the two TN Global Investors’ Meets. His government has been focusing on the ease of doing business. In his address, he pointed to his government addressing the issue of faster approvals, quick resolutions of issues related to land acquisition and building permits.
The clearance of non-industrial lands for industrial use has been cumbersome and time-consuming, leading to delays in project completion. Over 90 per cent of the land areas in the state are non-industrial lands that fall under the non-plan category. So, the single-window clearance with the re-classification of land use from non-industrial lands within 50 days and a direct consent-to-operate scheme for green industries are major reforms announced by the government.
In her address, Shobana Kamineni pointed to the continuing gender inequality and pleaded for harnessing Shakti power.
Past President, R Seshasayee, referred to the large membership of CII of 8700 with 7500 from the MSME sector. He pointed to the change in the objective of business, earlier confined to earning profits, today expanded to focus on environment and other societal concerns. Quoting the Tamil poet Avvaiyar, he suggested the government to focus on rural/agriculture development that would ensure overall prosperity.
CII President, Vikram Kirloskar, referred to the theme of CII for 2020 as Business and Beyond.
Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu, Chairman, CII (SR) welcomed and S Chandramohan, Chairman, CII-TN, proposed the vote of thanks.
In line with its large share of members and activities, CII (SR) has rightly jump-started the 125-year celebrations ahead of other regions. – [FOC]
