Need to stimulate city's development: FICCI

In response the results of the general election and the new government set to come up at the Centre, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has called for specific packages from the next government to stimulate the development of Bangalore.

“There is an urgent need to provide specific and stimulated packages for Bangalore development. The need is to develop Bangalore into a world-class city and make it the gateway for investments into Karnataka. From a Karnataka perspective, we would expect the new popular government to initiate immediate and focused action oriented towards harmonious development in the state,” said Sajan Poovayya, chairman, Karnataka State Council, FICCI.

Karnataka has been dangerously over dependent on ITôITeS, Poovayya said, pointing to the need to fillip emerging and sunrise industries in the state, like aviation, high-end design, nanotechnology, plantation tourism and wine tourism. “The new government should focus on providing adequate incentives to such emerging industries along with nurturing traditional industries such as manufacturing and textiles,” Poovayya said.

He called for a specific plan formulation for industrialisation of the state. “Over the past few decades, industrial growth in the state has slowed down and development indices have tapered. A hub-and-spoke model for industrialisation should be implemented in the state. Apart from Bangalore, specific centres across Karnataka should be developed as industrial hubs, and thereafter, development should trickle down to the regional centres which will form the spokes,” Poovayya said.

He noted that surface transport and aviation infrastructure should be developed with missionary zeal. The Centre should provide adequate support to the state government’s plan to establish aviation infrastructure in every district, he said.

On agricultural development in the state, Poovayya said that the share of agriculture in Karnataka’s state domestic product has been falling steadily. “Incentives are required for agriculture to render it sustainable and ultimately profitable. Incentives are also needed for agri-tech industries, which assist in the sustainability of agriculture. The new government should promulgate a master plan to regulate and aid contract farming so that the benefits of contract farming reach the rural farming community,” Poovayya said.