Exports from the labour-intensive manufacturing sector should grow to create more jobs, said Manikam Ramaswami, chairman and managing director of Loyal Textile Mills, and former chairman of Southern India Mills’ Association.
He was speaking at the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, after presenting the G.K. Sundaram Award.
Mr. Ramaswami said that for 15 straight months, there was drop of exports from the country.
“We need to create 1.5 crore jobs a year and exports of labour-intensive manufacturing sector should grow.
The Commerce Ministry should set targets for India’s share in global market,” he said.
Though the GDP was growing at 7.5 per cent to 8 per cent, the growth of consumption of finished goods was just two per cent to three per cent.
For the last three decades, whenever the economy grew at a higher rate, the rate at which poverty was eradicated came down.
Funds should be infused at the field–level through different ways, such as increasing the minimum support price for agricultural produce.
Even Bangladesh and Ethiopia have overtaken India in achieving the millennium goals, he said.
T.R. Dhinakaran, chairman of Sri Ramalinga Mills, said G.K. Sundaram was the Bheeshma of Coimbatore industries and had followed the principles of Gandhi in several fields.
Recipients of the G.K. Sundaram Award, which is instituted by the chamber, are: Lakshmi Ceramics (trade category), Craftsman Automation (industry category) and Professional Couriers (service category).
The awards were received by S. Muthuraman, managing partner of Lakshmi Ceramics, Goutham Ram, director of Craftsman Automation, and K.M. Senthil, proprietor of Professional Couriers.

Source : The Hindu