KOLLAM: Kollam district is putting up robust performance under the entrepreneurial development programme launched by the Department of Industries to promote micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state, by starting 8,151 new units.
According to the district administration, the district's goal is to start 11,775 businesses in one year. Therefore, the administration is all set to create a more conducive environment for enterprises. The administration has been organising a dedicated and coordinated effort between various departments,local governments, entrepreneurs, financial institutions, and industry associations.
"Kollam is the most entrepreneur-friendly district in the state. The world has changed dramatically. More entrepreneurs are needed today. As a result, we established a dedicated window in each local body. The single window will help entrepreneurs obtain various licences in less than 15 days. We have placed BTech and MTech graduates as interns in local self-government bodies. These interns will assist companies with subsidies, bank loans, and other issues," said district industry centre general manager Biju Kurian.
After the programme was launched, the district administration conducted a full-fledged awareness and training programme for entrepreneurs in various local bodies. This was followed by loan subsidies and loan melas at the local level, Kurian said. Meanwhile, the district collector's regular review meetings also took place, which helped the administration to understand various issues being faced by businesses.
Kollam currently has 903 new manufacturing units, 3,132 service units, and 4,116 trade units, generating 18,252 jobs. Kollam was leading the first position but was recently overtaken by Wayanad. The achievement percentage of Kollam is 75.13, which was recently taken over by Wayanad ( 76.51 per cent).
Meanwhile, small and medium-sized associations are also happy with the initiative taken by the administration. According to A Nizarudeen, president of the Kerala State Small Industry Association, the attitude of officials has improved in the past six months. Previously, the entrepreneurs had to bear the brunt of officials' wrath, particularly in local bodies, he said. Kollam is doing well in terms of new business creation, but the key is the sustainability of these initiatives.
A total of Rs 463 crore has been invested in small and medium industries in Kollam as of now. Covid has completely transformed the market. So you need enterprises that can serve for a longer period of time, and that requires continuous efforts," he explained.
Rank | District | Target | Achievement | Achievement % | Investment(cr) | Employment generated |
1 | Wayanad | 3,687 | 2,821 | 76.51 | 168.81 | 5,956 |
2 | Kollam | 11,775 | 8,846 | 75.13 | 463.07 | 18,252 |
3 | Alappuzha | 9,666 | 6,863 | 71 | 367.81 | 14,628 |
4 | Pathanamthitta | 5,408 | 3,829 | 70.08 | 170.87 | 8,181 |
5 | Thrissur | 13,533 | 9,220 | 68.13 | 479.93 | 19,539 |