Kerala capital is poised to become next Singapore : Adani Vizhinjam Port CEO
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Leveraging its seaport-airport proximity, Kerala capital is well poised to become the next Singapore and that should be the vision and mission, said Pradeep Jayaraman, CEO, Adani Vizhinjam Ports Pvt Ltd, here. “If any place in the country that has the potential to be the next Singapore, it is actually Thiruvananthapuram,” he said at a panel session on ‘Roadmap for Responsible Growth and Innovation’ held on the sidelines of the industries seminar organised as part of the state government’s thematic deliberations ‘Vision 2031’ at Kazhakootam, near here.
The event is organised by the Department of Industries and Commerce, in association with Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion (K-BIP), and Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA).
APM Mohammed Hanish, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce, was the moderator of the session. Noting that Kerala has a proactive approach, Jayaraman said there is a huge potential of air-sea cargo mix in the state capital and his company is keen to leverage it. Except for one or two places, no other seaport and airport in the world are 30 minutes apart from each other. “We will be starting Phase-2 where 800 meters of berth will be constructed. We are also committed to building an additional 1,200 meters that make it about two kilometres long single straight line berth, one of the longest in the country,” he informed.
The CEO said apart from the huge potential of the place, the state’s industrial policy, incentives and climate make it an ideal place for investment. “We are also going to invest in ramping up our multi-cargo handling capability that will help importers and exporters.” Jayaraman said the project of developing logistics parks in the state is on the anvil. “With the completion of Phase-1 of Vizhinjam Port, the present capacity has become 120-130 percent, manifesting the capability of the location and the port,” he added.
Ramesh Kannan, CEO, Kaynes Technologies, said as part of its expansion in various states, Kaynes will be investing around Rs 500 crore in Kerala.
“We are planning to set up a state-of-the-art electronic assembly unit in Perumbavoor in one lakh sqft in Phase-1. We will have a fully automated test engineering group working in Phase -1. In Phase-2 and 3, we are planning to have a component factory and associated subsystems. By the completion of Phase-3, around 4,000 engineers will be working in the large facility,” he informed. Kannan suggested coordination of industry, academia, financial institutions and entrepreneurs to make ‘Vision 2031’ a reality.
Revealing schemes for startups, Sanjay Khanna, CMD, BPCL, said funds are being provided by BPCL to startups specialised in decarbonisation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) domains.
Mayan Mohammed, MD, Western India, said his company invests every year in Kerala though they have manufacturing units in other states. Stressing that infrastructure is vital for investors, he said the state needs to have future industrial parks.
Santhosh Koshy Thomas, MD, KINFRA, said the upcoming industrial smart city in Palakkad will be a game changer for Kerala and the work on the project is slated to begin on November 15, aiming for the completion in 42 months.
Hari Krishnan R, IRTS, ED, KSIDC, explained various schemes of KSIDC on the occasion.
In another session on ‘Powering Kerala’s Next Industrial Leap,’ the panellists were Ajith Kumar K, Executive Chairman, BPT; and Vice Admiral Sreekumar Nair (Retd), MD, KELTRON. Ms Anie Jula Thomas, Officer on Special Duty, Industries Department, was the moderator.