Date:21/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/21/stories/2007092162370800.htm

Tamil Nadu

Industries urged to pool their resources

MADURAI: Trade associations in Madurai should come forward to pool their resources to create a common facility for the sector. A “co-created infrastructure” is lacking in Madurai whereas it exists in cities such as Coimbatore, which has PSG STEP, according to the Managing Director of Ma Foi Consultants, K. Pandia Rajan. Established in 1998, PSG STEP is a joint effort of PSG College of Technology, Department of Science and Technology and an all India financial institution to promote technology-based enterprise in various fields such as software, electronic products and biotechnology.

“It helped bring in all the major players in IT field to Coimbatore. Such an effort is needed in Madurai,” he told a press conference here recently. Non-resident Indians belonging to these parts should also be roped in.

Mr. Pandia Rajan was in Madurai to inaugurate the ‘Ma Foi Academy.’ This is the 99th Ma Foi institution and 21st academy in the country and sixth such facility in Tamil Nadu.

“The academy offers customised coaching primarily to Government institutions, non-governmental organisations, corporates and institutions,” he said. The Madurai academy would cater to six southern districts of Sivaganga, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Theni and Madurai.

A survey conducted by the organisation estimated that at least 10.3 lakh jobs would be created in India this year in 13 organised sectors with 1.3 lakh in Tamil Nadu. “IT and IT-enabled services are the leading employers followed by consumer retail and oil and gas sectors,” he said.