THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government will closely monitor the timely completion of cluster development projects for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), which is regarded a potential area for the industrial growth in the state.
A project steering committee with Additional Chief Secretary of Industries department Paul Antony as chairman has been constituted to ensure successful completion and implementation of cluster development activities.
The government is keen to promote MSMEs as it it is a growing sector that can employ Keralites returning from Gulf countries, said a senior official with the Industries department.
According to him, the MSME had the disadvantage of scaling up their business, low capital base etc. The committee can make soft intervention to overcome these barriers.
The department has initiated a survey of the problems faced by the entrepreneurs. It has deployed officials from district industrial centres for conducting the survey. The steering committee will take decision based on the results of the survey.
The activities of the Industrial Cluster Development throughout the state are being coordinated by Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion in association with the Union Ministry of MSME.
The state has industrial clusters in sectors like food processing, terra tile, wood, plastic, bamboo and cane, garments, etc. Among these, food processing has emerged a fast growth area.
Apart from the existing industrial clusters, the department is taking survey of unutilised land available with various local bodies and provide these information to entrepreneurs for setting up enterprises. A geo-mapping will be made based on the survey.