Centre for Comparative Studies
CPPR Chairman Dr D Dhanuraj comments in a news article published in The Times of India.
Kochi: According to Asian Development Bank (ADB), industrial corridors will have a positive effect on the country’s economy, acting as an economic corridor that will help ease infrastructural bottlenecks and develop a sound industrial base.
“A corridor is a spatial development initiative, primarily defined as a route along which goods and people move. The efficiency of this movement contributes and stimulates economic development, existing and planned, along the route,” said ADB document ‘Scaling New Heights: Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor’.
“The integration of infrastructure with trade, investment, and overall economic potential is envisioned to enhance the competitiveness of a country or region. This, in turn, will contribute to developing a sound industrial base by attracting investments into manufacturing, both for domestic and export markets,” it said.
“Economic corridors facilitate growth by easing infrastructural bottlenecks, improving access to markets, stimulating trade and investment, and boosting productivity and efficiency. In the long-term, corridors contribute to economic diversification and job creation,” the report said.
However, some people are not so sure of the success of an industrial corridor in Kerala. Centre for public policy research chairman D Dhanuraj said given the history of Kerala’s failed industrial initiatives, the corridor might not be a success.
“All along the proposed industrial corridor, we now only have micro and small companies. But, in an industrial corridor, we need bigger firms and the exercise of developing these small companies to reach such a stature is doubtful. Also, the aversion of the average Malayali to outside investors might also affect the project,” he said
This news article was published in The Times of India on October 10, 2019 click here to read
