Thiruvananthapuram, 25 February(HS): Invest Kerala Global Summit, a two-day event held by the Government of Kerala under the auspices of P Rajeev, minister for industries turned out to be a damp squib, according to investors as well as entrepreneurs.
Though it was portrayed as a “mega event” to showcase Kerala to global investors, the latter were cold to the speeches delivered by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Rajeev, which were prepared by the public relations company executives.
The opening day saw the Kerala Government claiming the participation of 26 countries including the “imperialist” USA and colonialist UK, it turned out that hardly ten nations attended the event. Similarly, the claim that 2500 delegates who are industry leaders would participate in the “summit”, there were hardly 250 entrepreneurs visible in the Lulu Bolgatty International Convention Centre at Kochi. The union government which is always attacked by the CPI(M)-led Kerala Government as fascist and communal, was represented by three prominent ministers-Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal and Jayant Chaudhary.
Though the “summit” ended on a disappointing note, the marriage of Pramod, CPI(M) leader K Chandran Pillai, held at the same venue had an array of international, national and State level VIPs to bless the couple. Only the wealthy sections of society could organize marriages and such events at the Lulu Convention Centre owned by Kerala’s M K Yusuf Ali, the UAE-based billionaire.
According to releases issued by the Government of Kerala on Sunday morning, Chief Minister Vijayan has been quoted as saying that the delegates have promised to invest Rs 1.53 lakh crore in the State. But it is a mere promise and not even a memorandum of understanding. “The investors are aware of the risks involved in doing business in Kerala and it is certain that none of the delegates would show their faces again in the State,” said a leading figure of South Indian Industries.
He said a white paper on the past investors summit held in the State would be ideal at this juncture because it would give a status report of the industries and enterprises set up in Kerala since 2003.
Hindusthan Samachar / Manohar Yadavatti
