From Our Special Correspondent
Pics: Yahya Hallare
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Feb 14: The Make in India – Karnataka conference drew to a close in the city with a thrust on re-energizing the industry and boosting the manufacturing sector.
The conference, which gave a special focus to encouraging manufacturing start-ups, saw an overwhelming participation of more than 5000 delegates from India and abroad.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced various plans to encourage manufacturing start-ups and instituting a new manufacturing excellence award.
These ideas will definitely help bring the importance of manufacturing into sharp focus in Karnataka.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely, in his inaugural address, emphasized that manufacturing is where the future lies, where job creation and mass employment will take place.
He commended Karnataka for playing the most active participation role in actually making GST a reality.
The next two years would be a transformational period for the country, Jaitely said.
Several other prominent leaders from the Union Government and State Government including Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar, MJ Akbar, RV Deshpande, DK Shivakumar, Priyank Kharge, Ramesh Kumar, Basavaraj Rayareddy were present at the event.
Industry captains including Ms Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman and MD, Biocon Ltd, Vikram Kirloskar, Chairman and MD, Kirloskar Systems Limited, Baba Kalyani, Chief MD, Bharat Forge, Ms ShobanaKamineni, Executive Vice Chairman, Apollo Group, JD Giri, Director, Shahi Exports Pvt Ltd and Wilson Y R, President, HimatsingkaSeide Ltd, shared their perspective on the evolving nature of manufacturing and participated at the focus sector sessions held during the two day conference.
The Foundation stone laying ceremony for Machine Tools Park in Tumakuru was held at the Inaugural ceremony of the Make In India – Karnataka Conference and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Government of Karnataka and Government of India for setting up an 'Integrated Machine Tools Industrial Park' at Vasanthanarasapura in Tumakuru district.
Three coffee table books - ‘Make in Karnataka’ in association with Yes bank Express Group and Raintree Media were released.
Speaking at the press conference, Deshpande, expressed his special thanks to Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India for partnering with Karnataka in this event.
He also thanked all the foreign delegates, investors, invitees, speakers, and moderators for extending their support and participating in large numbers.
"I am confident that Karnataka’s inherent strengths coupled with close Government - Industry partnership will lead India’s manufacturing excellence, heralding the 4th industrial revolution," he said.
Over 500 B2B meetings were held across different focus sectorswith International/ National Business houses and Corporations.
More than 50 World class companies showcased their manufacturing prowess at the Exhibition Centre of the Make In India – Karnataka Conference.
A total of 10 sessions, one of them on ‘Make in India’ and 9 focus sector sessions were held during the two- day conference.
The 10 focus sector sessions held at the event were:
• Make in India
• Aerospace and Defence
• Bio Technology and Pharmaceuticals
• Textiles, Apparel and Leather
• Heavy Engineering and Machine Tools
• Electronics and Electricals
• Agriand Food processing
• Auto and Auto Components
• Manufacturing start-ups
• Plastics and Chemicals