Suminfra 2004 to focus on south's realty

The new order is in place and there seems to be a seamless transformation of infrastructure development agenda apart from the special focus of this government on manufacturing, tourism and agriculture, said J P Nayak, chairman of Suminfra 2004 (Summit on Infrastructure), CII Southern Region, and president (operations) of L&T in Bangalore.

In addition to the main agenda of giving an overall perspective on infrastructure, the summit will also discuss two key issues "� urban competence and growth of real estate in south.

Urban competence will explore newer models of PPPs in urban infrastructure and will discuss issues such as water and waste management, mobility management and innovative financing of urban infrastructure projects.

Announcing the second edition of CII's two-day Suminfra through public-private partnership (PPP) to be held in Bangalore from June 17, Nayak said: "With titans of economic reforms at the helm of affairs, lot of excitement is expected in the infrastructure sector. It is a golden opportunity for all of us to leverage on the progress made in the last few years, strengthen the existing frameworks and move forward."

Analysing the regional infrastructure developments, he said that the governments in the southern states have always been at the forefront of experimenting and innovating with newer models of PPPs.

Urging more sustained efforts for replicating a few success stories, Nayak said that the improvement in infrastructure such as highways, ports and water achieved by collaborating with private sector has enabled a small percentage of the Indian population to experience a better standard of living and the industry to marginally improve its productivity.

"It is imperative that these models are replicated across the country within a time frame," he added.

In an effort to bring more clarity on how various strengths can be harnessed for the development of infrastructure, he said, Suminfra 2004 will bring together all the stakeholders concerned and will unveil opportunities for the private sector in infrastructure in various areas in the southern states.

"At the same time, this is a forum for policy makers to appreciate the risk perceptions and concerns of the private sector, which needs to be addressed. It will also help financing institutions to understand the critical issues related to infrastructure projects and their bankability,"Nayak said.