The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Electrical expo kicks off

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 14, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Electrical expo kicks off

Staff Reporter

State to encourage setting up of more units

SWITCHING ON: Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veerasamy at the All India Electrical Trade Exhibition on Sunday. — Photo: R. Ragu

CHENNAI : Unbreakable light bulbs, PVC switch boards, cables and other sundry electrical fittings... more than 300 stalls at Rani Meyyammai and Rajah Muthaiah halls were packed with all things electrical as the fourth Electrica 2006 kicked off on Sunday.

Minister for Electricity and Rural Industries Arcot N. Veerasamy said that the state would encourage the setting up of more electronic and electrical industries.

"The state uses nearly Rs. 5,000 crore worth of electrical products. But we do not produce even 10 per cent of our demand," he said, explaining the need to encourage the industry.

Apart from introducing single window clearance facility and Rs. 1 crore loan for those who want to set up small scale units, the government's decision to introduce value added tax system from next year would also be of help to traders and consumers of electric and electronic products, he said.

The minister said expos like these would not just help showcase innovations in the field but promote direct interactions between consumers and manufacturers. The expo, which has participants from New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore, is also a meeting point for traders, exporters, dealers and architects.

Organisers of the expo, The Madras Electric Trades Association (META), said the last such event attracted 35,000 visitors and generated trade volume of Rs. 15 crore.

The minister told META members that he would request Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to write to the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister regarding their concerns about foreign direct investment in the retail segment.

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