Industry hopeful on reforms continuity, silent on Telangana

The industry in the state is cautious in its reactions to the Congress win.

The industry has restricted itself to merely hoping that the new government will continue the policies of the TDP government. It is also maintaining a studied silence on the demand of the TRS for a separate Telangana state.

The industry is broadly in consensus with the main agenda of the Congress to focus on revitalising the agrarian economy. The IT and ITES sectors, which were in the limelight during TDP rule, are also not perturbed over change of guard.

S V Ramachandran, regional director of Nasscom, said, "Congress has realised that IT is a very important sector today. And they have even promised to set up at least six institutes to train students in IT and IT-enabled areas."

Venkata Rao Mallineni, president and CEO of SoftPro Systems, said: "I personally think that Congress would continue what the previous government has done and only take it forward."

Ramesh Datla, president of CII's Andhra Pradesh cell, said that the greater thrust on agriculture, infrastructure, exports, healthcare, tourism and knowledge-based industry was in line with the CII agenda.

A B Bhushan, regional president of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, observed that, "There would be no major policy changes."

Venkat Jasti, president of Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association, said: "Apart from policy continuity, the other concern is the ban on expansion of pharmaceutical industries in four districts. The ban is impeding the growth of pharma industry."

He said that the new government should also extend support to the industry to house the headquarters of Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) in Hyderabad.

The recent emphasis on the promotion of use bio fuels by YS Rajasekhar Reddy has buoyed the players in the bio-fuel sector.

Satish Kumar N, managing director of Southern Online Bio Technologies, and G Sreenivas, MD of Tree Oils India, said the new government should set up a single window office and declare tax holidays for encouraging biodiesel ventures.

Also needed are policy guidelines, seed collection centres and oil expelling units in all districts, they noted.

For the food processing industry, there is not any major issue of concern.

"What the previous government had done should be continued. However, the new government should improve the pathetic state of industrial estates in the state," Rajendra Kumar Agarwal, chairman of Disha Foods Private Limited, said.

BHC Agro president Pat Rao said that apart from developing the large irrigation projects, the need of the hour was to expand and implement micro irrigation.

"This measure would deliver immediate benefits to small and marginal farmers by helping them utilise very small amounts of water and power for produce of larger quantity and higher quality at a very competitive cost structure," he said.