Ease-of-doing-business climate in the state needs to improve: Shashi Tharoor in TiECon Kerala

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KOCHI: Though the resource-scarce environment is posing a threat to the country, Indian entrepreneurs are always willing to accept challenges in making workable solutions with limited resources, said MP Shashi Tharoor. He was inaugurating the sixth edition of  ‘TiEcon Kerala 2017’ at the Le Meridian Convention centre on Friday. The two-day event is organised by Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a not-for-profit global organisation fostering entrepreneurship.

“In the West, people invent a product, refine it, make it smaller and expensive, while Indian innovators often strip a product to its bare essentials to make it affordable, durable and effective and thereby reaching out to a larger market,” he said, adding Indian ingenuity has produced startling number of world-beating innovations in the recent years.

While commenting on entrepreneurship in Kerala, Tharoor said the state has strong entrepreneurial spirit. “We need more incubation centres across the state. However, substantial corrective measures are needed in areas like ease of doing business, permit delays, etc.,” Tharoor said.

However, he also expressed his concern over the state’s over-dependence on Gulf remittances accounting for 25 per cent of the state’s GDP. “Kerala would find it hard to cope with a sudden exodus of over two million expatriates in the event of a crisis. Our economy will essentially crumble without the remittances,” Tharoor said, adding the state has to seriously take note of the ease of doing business aspect considering the Niti Ayog survey has ranked it among the least performing states in terms of the business environment.
Rajesh Nair, president, TiE Kerala; Shyam Srinivasan, managing director and CEO, Federal Bank Ltd; Dr Azad Moopan, chairman and MD, Aster DM Healthcare; Rajesh Nair, president, TiE Kerala; M S A Kumar, senior vice president and Ajit Moopan, vice president, TiE Kerala, addressed the inaugural session.

Panel discussions on the role of medical cluster industries in Kerala, ‘Experiential Tourism’ shedding light into future frontiers of Kerala tourism industry, possibilities and opportunities in Life Sciences and Biotechnology were the major highlights of the discussions on the first day.
Over 300 start-ups from various industries and more than hundred start-up exhibitors displayed their products and ventures to visiting investors and corporate honchos. Over 1,000 delegates from various parts of the country participated in the event which will conclude on Saturday.

‘Hartal an outmoded form of protest’
Kochi: At a time when all the leading political parties are in the forefront in announcing hartals, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday called it an outmoded form of protest. He was speaking at the inaugural session of the sixth edition of TiEcon Kerala 2017. “Kerala is the only state which still uses the outmoded protest,” he said. “This no longer takes place in anywhere in the country.” According to him, Kerala has witnessed over 65 hartals until June this year. “This will not help to establish a successful entrepreneurship and investment climate here. Every year, R2,000 crore is the loss to the state exchequer due to hartals,” Tharoor said.

Pepperfry to expand biz in state
Kochi: In a bid to explore the Kerala market, leading online furniture and home products marketing company Pepperfry will soon expand its business in the state by setting up offline studios in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Kottayam. It had opened the first studio at Panampilly Nagar in Kochi recently.  “Discussions are on to expand the business in the state,” Pepperfry CEO and founder Ambareesh Murty told Express. “Soon, we will set up our studios in the metro cities in the state. With this, the customers will get a physical feel of the products.” He said the expansion will also help the small-scale industrial units sell their products.

Country chicken is just a tap away
Kochi: A curious attraction at the TiE conference is a start-up which helps you order country chicken. Healthy Wings, a product of Ahzaab Food Products Pvt Ltd in Edappally, delivers country chicken all across Ernakulam at a reasonable rate. All you need is to download its app on your mobile. The company also has stores in Kakkanad, Kalamassery, Edappally, Aluva, Palarivattom, Vyttila, Kadavanthara, Panampilly Nagar, Kaloor, Kacherippady and Cheranellur. The price is fixed at R351/kg and free home delivery is also available. Healthy Wings comes with a caption of Tasty Today Healthy Tomorrow. It claims the chicken they provide is free of hormones or growth additives and is reared in a hygienic environment. The other features the company provide are premium packing, strict quality check, easy payment, on-time delivery and any type of cut.