KOCHI: The government is on a mission to evolve a strategy to protect the traditional industries while promoting modern industries like biotech and life sciences, said State Planning Board member Jayan Jose Thomas. Biodiversity and skilled workforce are our strength and we have to capitalise on it, he said. The Planning Board is organising a series of workshops to interact and understand the problems faced by the industry. The government is committed to building a strong and dynamic manufacturing sector in the state.
The state public sector units (PSUs) will act as facilitators to promote innovative ventures in the private sector, Jayan Jose Thomas told Express. “The PSUs in Kerala like Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KSDP), Autokast and Transformers And Electricals Kerala Ltd (TELK) are known for maintaining high quality in products. We have to capitalise on the goodwill created by these PSUs,” he said.
‘’We are planning to establish a pharma park in Kochi and a petrochemical plant on FACT land at Ambalavayal in Kochi. A biotech and life sciences park will come up in Thiruvananthapuram. These new initiatives will help to create more job opportunities and boost the industrial development of the state,’’ said Jayan Jose Thomas.