From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Nov 11: As part of the drive to showcase the resilience and efforts taken by the state government headed by chief minister B S Yediyurappa to ensure smooth flow of industrial activities in Karnataka during the nationwide lockdown, large and medium scale industries minister Jagadish Shettar launched 'Resilient Karnataka' movie in the virtual meeting in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
“In the last eight months, the world, as well as India, have gone through tremendous changes due to the impact of COVID-19. While we all were fighting this tough pandemic, it was also critical for the states and the private players to keep the economic engine running keeping a focus on the lives of our citizens especially during the lockdown,” Shettar said.
This movie 'Resilient Karnataka' is a testament to Karnataka’s will and proactive nature to support the private players across the state and maintain a balance between the lives of people and economy, he said.
"Karnataka has been an attractive investment destination and is one of the most industrially advanced states in India. Today, Karnataka is a nearly USD 250 billion economy and has been leading the country in several sectors,’’ Shettar said.
He said lockdown has indeed impacted ordinary citizens, the livelihood of workers, industries and everyone in a huge manner.
"This film showcases the strong measures taken by the state government under the strong political leadership to ensure smooth functioning of industries and the supply chain are not disturbed for critical industries,” said Gaurav Gupta, principal secretary, department of industries and commerce.
Even during the early days of COVID-19 pandemic, he said the state government ensured the continuity of operations of aerospace and defence establishments, further enhancing the confidence industry has in Karnataka and Bengaluru.
The state is taking cautious steps to reboot the economy and support economic activities in the state. The recent 2019 NITI Aayog 2019 Innovation Index has Karnataka at the top.
"This has been possible due to the availability of quality human resources, reputed higher educational institutions, and a significant thrust on research and development aided by a proactive administration and conducive investment climate,’’ he said.
"Keeping the investor-centric approach, our government has launched the New Industrial Policy 2020-2025 to build a prosperous Karnataka and create large-scale employment opportunities,’’ said Shettar.
"This policy is very forward-looking and brings with it several incentives and regulatory reforms such as land access and labour market regulation. Promoting economic and industrial development of our state has always been a top priority for our government,’’ he said.
The virtual delegation meeting was attended by Gaurav Gupta, principal secretary, Commerce and Industries, Gunjan Krishna Commissioner for Industrial Development and director of Industries and Commerce, Revanna Gowda managing director, Karnataka Udyog Mitra, Mahesh Kapri managing director GE-BEL, Kamal Bali president and managing Director, Volvo Group, Sudipto Gupta managing director, Wistron, KASSIA president KB Arsappa, FKCCI president Perikal Sundar and dignitaries from various trade bodies.