Ficci Changes By-Laws To Rope In More Corporates

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci), the umbrella body of about 400 regional chambers in the country, has amended its constitution to raise the number of individual corporates on its rolls. The move is part of its plans to broaden its membership profile within the ambit of its federal structure.

In an aggressive membership drive during the current fiscal, the apex chamber has raised its corporate membership by nearly a 100 in the first six weeks, from April to mid-May, alone. In comparison, it had added only 152 corporates to its fold during the whole of fiscal 1996-97.

 

Alop Mittal, corporate advisor to Ficci, said the chamber which had hitherto restricted its corporate membership to the private sector, had amended its constitution to include multinational corporations as well as public sector units.

The amendment ensures more corporates to be included into the chambers fold. While Coca-Cola and Kalyani Forge have been taken in as corporate members, the remaining have been inducted as associate members.

These include Videocon International, ANZ Grindlays, Container Corporation of India, Hindustan Copper Ltd, Rashtriya Ispat Ltd, Haldia Petrochemicals and Goetze India.

Mittal said Ficcis new strategy to enroll new corporate members is in response to the changes in the economy being ushered in by liberalisation of trade and industry.

The role of a chamber has changed dramatically during the past five years. Earlier chambers were involved in lobbying for their members for licence, quota and permits.

All that has changed now. The chambers have now taken it upon themselves to educate the business and the bureaucracy constantly and keep them on the right track, Mittal said.

As part of its overhaul programme, Ficci has also created a specialised department to service its members. Explaining the move, Mittal said, In a liberalised set-up the members are looking for more information regarding implication of policy changes, guidance for joint ventures, the business climate in foreign countries and lessons from other countries.

Service of this kind can be given only from a centralised level.

He added that the chamber is now compelled more than ever before to be more sensitive to the needs and aspirations of its members.

Among others, the already existing members include India Tourism Development Corp (ITDC), Pfizer Ltd, Bharti Telecom, State Trading Corp of India, Motorola India, Mahindra & Mahindra, Srei International, Birla 3M Ltd, Raymond Synthetics, Larsen & Toubro, Zee Telefilms, Ericsson Telecommunications, DCM International and ABN Amro Bank.