CII-AP to focus on rural jobs

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Andhra Pradesh unit has decided to adopt rural employment for inclusive growth as its agenda for this year.

Stating that migration of rural youth was creating undue pressure on urban infrastructure, CII-AP ex-chairman Shakti Sagar underlined the need to create industrial employment in non-urban areas.

“There is a lot of disguised unemployment in rural areas and underemployment in urban areas,” he said, speaking at the annual day meeting of the industry body here today.

A CII taskforce led by Amara Raja chairman Ramachandra N Galla, set up to suggest measures to promote job creation at regional level as opposed to urban centres, will submit its report in a month.

To prevent social discontent caused by persistent inequality, the CII should work to bring into mainstream the 50 percent population now outside it, said TT Ashok, deputy chairman, CII-southern region.

Citing structural shifts over human history, Reuben Abraham, an assistant professor at the Indian School of Business, made a strong pitch for urbanisation as a growth driver and a process to be encouraged rather than managed.

He said China and South Korea were able to achieve rapid increases in per capita GDP only on account of urbanisation. According to him, 67 percent of world's GDP and 80 percent of its innovations originate in 40 urban mega regions.