Kerala B2B Meet for SMEs

The state department of commerce and industries will organise Kerala B2B Meet for the SME sector from February 26 to 28  in Kochi.

More than 200 buyers from outside Kerala, including foreign buyers, had  registered for the meet.

The state will showcase its eight sectors -- food processing (food & spices), handlooms, textiles & garments, rubber, wood-based industries, ayurveda & herbal, electrical & electronics and traditional sectors like handicrafts and bamboo, a press release stated.  

It will have an exhibitor section in which 151 SMEs from Kerala would get an opportunity to showcase their products and technologies.

Kicked off in 2003, the state has so far identified around 70 clusters spread across various sectors. Around 50 consortia had been formed and registered in different clusters. The clusters are mostly in sectors such as food, general engineering, garments, wood, rubber, plastic, and clay.

Under the cluster development  programme, so far the Centre has given its nod for 14 projects in the state of which, seven have already gone on stream and two  have received in-principle approval.

Further, nine  are in the pipeline and may get in-principle approval from the Centre soon. The total cost of the projects approved is at Rs 85.87 crore and investments worth Rs 118 crore are in the pipeline.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Ficci) is the ‘Trade & Industry Partner’ for the meet.  The event is  being organised  in association with the  Directorate of Industries & Commerce, Directorate of Handlooms & Textiles and other industry bodies.

Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion (K-BIP), Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), Kerala Industrial Development Corporations (Kinfra) and  Kerala Small Industries Development Corporation (Sidco).