Date:25/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/25/stories/2008112559931700.htm

Business

Initiative to develop north Malabar

Special Correspondent

KANNUR: The Confederation of Indian Industries-Kerala (CII-Kerala) will have a tie-up with the North Malabar Chamber of Commerce (NMCC) for a joint initiative to identify areas of development in the district.

CII-Kerala chairman M.S.A. Kumar said at a press conference here on Monday that development of north Kerala was one of the focus areas of the CII under its India@75 programme.

Kannur was one of the four districts selected by the CII-Kerala for its District Development Plan under the programme, he said adding that the other districts were Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad and Thrissur.

Mr. Kumar said the CII was upgrading 23 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in the State as skill development was one of the priorities of the confederation. Its projection was that the country would have 200 million graduates and postgraduates by 2022.

The initiative was to increase employability by offering grassroots level skill development in 308 trades in 31 sectors, he said.

NMCC president Maheshchandra Baliga and CII-Kerala vice-chairman Sanjaya Mariwala were also present.