C I A L T R A D E FA I R & E X H I B I T I O N C E N T R E | KO C H I | K E R A L AF E B R U A R Y 4 - 6 , 2 0 1 6
n FOOD PROCESSING
n HANDLOOM, TEXTILES AND GARMENTS
n RUBBER
n WOOD BASED INDUSTRIES
n AYURVEDA, HERBAL AND COSMETICS
n ENGINEERING WITH ELECTRICAL AND
ELECTRONICS
n HANDICRAFTS AND BAMBOO RELATED PRODUCTS
ORGANISED BY NODAL AGENCY TRADE & INDUSTRY PARTNER
DEPT. OF INDUSTRIES & COMMERCEGOVERNMENT OF KERALA
KERALA BUREAU OF INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION
FEDERATION OF INDIAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
-BIP
ost-globalisation, SMEs (Small and Medium Enter-prises) in Kerala had been increas-ingly becoming sick units owing
to various reasons. The quality of products, facilities to manufac-ture large quantities, adoption of cutting-edge technology and exploring markets were the core issues.
It was P H Kurian IAS, the then Director of Industries and Commerce, (currently, Principal Secretary with the Industries Department) who came out with a unique proposition - Kerala B2B 2004 - whereby the government would offer a platform so that entrepre-neurs in the State could directly interact with buyers, introduce their products and generate business.
The impact was phenomenal. Sell-ers were able to have business interac-tions with national and international buyers and receive promising trade enquiries. Buyers from the UAE placed orders for instant food prod-ucts with a company and the associa-
tion is still going strong. There was huge demand for Aranmula Kannadi, the traditional mirror, but the fact was that sellers were not able to meet the required quantity within the stipu-lated time. Even a caparison, which
was hung in front of the stall set up by a chemical engineering unit as a decorative accessory, attracted bulk orders from the Netherlands.
With sellers bagging orders from national and international buyers, there emerged a demand to conduct the meet on an annual basis. Conse-quently, it was held in 2005. In 2007, the platform underwent a makeover as the then Government organised
Trade-Technology Business Show. Later in 2015, under the lead-ership of Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty, the govern-
ment reintroduced B2B in a new avatar.
Now into its fourth edition, Kerala B2B has become one of the best organised events in
Kerala thereby helping buyers as well as sellers to effectively utilise the platform to engage in direct business.
Says V Rajagopal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion (K-BIP), which is the nodal agency for the event: “The idea is not to target the SMEs on the basis of turnover. Large enterprises will already have their own network-ing capabilities. The plan is to select a mix of companies ensuring the
B2B GAVE STATE SMEs THE MUCH-NEEDED PUSH
KERALAB2B MEET 20
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Opportunities Face to Face for SMEs2
P
CIAL TRADE FAIR & EXHIBITION CENTRE
KOCHI | KERALA FEBRUARY 4 - 6, 2016
200 SMEs HAVE REGISTERED FOR
KERALA B2B 2016. NEARLY
400 INDIAN AND FOREIGN BUYERS ARE EXPECTED TO
CONDUCT BUSINESS AT THE MEET
SUPPORTED BY
DIRECTORATE OF INDUSTRIES & COMMERCE
DIRECTORATE OF HANDLOOM AND TEXTILES KSIDC
OOMMEN CHANDYCHIEF MINISTER
The Small and Medium Enterprises in the State have contributed in large measure towards the economic devel-
opment and growth of the State. However, to survive in the changed competitive economic order, these enterprises have to continually evolve through adoption of better technologies, reduction of costs and improvement of quality in order to tap new markets globally for their sustainable growth. This is especially relevant to the traditional sector within the State and other sectors where the State has inherent advantages in terms of potential for rapid growth. The Kerala Business to Business Meet 2016 is part of Kerala Government’s efforts to pro-mote the State’s SMEs in the global market and help the manufacturing sector to access larger markets for their products.
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Opportunities Face to Face for SMEs3
presence of leading firms as well as upcoming units that have the potential to grow.”
According to Rajagopal, the success of the event depends on how effectively the 200 Kerala SMEs, who have registered as sellers, utilise the platform. “Each seller would have the opportunity to hold many business interac-tions within these three days. To reap maximum benefit, the deci-sion makers of each SME units have to be present at the venue so as to make quick decisions. Ensuring the presence of people who can speak and understand multiple languages at the stall is another important aspect. Then only they can effectively commu-nicate with the buyers about their products within the stipulated time,” he added.
Like in the previous years, the Meet being organised by the Department of Industries & Com-merce focuses on seven key sectors in the State: Food-processing; Han-dlooms, Textiles and Garments; Rubber; Wood-based industries; Ayurveda, Health and Cosmetics; Engineering, Electrical & Electron-ics and Handicrafts & traditional industries. As many as 200 SMEs have already registered for the event through 14 District Indus-tries Centres in the State. Accord-ing to P M Francis IAS, Director of Industries and Commerce, the highlight of the 2016 edition is the demand from several foreign
trade delegations to have tie-ups with SMEs of the State. “They are considering setting up produc-tion houses of these SMEs in their respective countries. The avail-ability of raw materials at a better price and cheap labour are behind this decision. Interested SMEs can make use of this opportunity also,” he said.
Nearly 400 Indian and foreign buyers are expected to conduct business at the Meet. Buyers from various States, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharash-tra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal, Punjab, Odisha and Kashmir will attend. International buy-ers who have registered for the event are from the US, China, Nigeria, Thailand, Singapore, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Belgium and Poland.
K-BIP has organised Road Shows in Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mangalore and Goa to promote the Meet. In Kolkata, the road show was held on the sidelines of India International Mega Trade Fair 2015, the mammoth trade exhibition held at Science City Grounds from December 17 to 27. In Goa, the road show was held during the Food Hospitality World 2015, the exhibition and B2B trade show exclusively for food processing, beverages and hospitality sector.
CIAL TRADE FAIR & EXHIBITION CENTREKOCHI | KERALA FEBRUARY 4 - 6, 2016
KERALAB2B MEET 20
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Opportunities Face to Face for SMEs4
P K KUNHALIKUTTYMINISTER FOR INDUSTRIES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
P H KURIAN IASPRINCIPAL SECRETARY, INDUSTRIES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
The SME sector in Kerala has witnessed an encouraging and robust growth of 12 per cent – the highest in India – in spite of the global economic crisis. Unlike
other states, we do not have large areas to hand over to industries, and cannot give environmental clearances to polluting industries. In Kerala, we are keener on inclusive growth, such as seen in the SME sector. There has been a healthy turnaround in the attitude that you cannot start an enterprise in Kerala and there are lots of success stories. However, in the Globalisation era our SMEs are facing competition at global level. To tackle this, the State Government through its agencies is acting as a support service provider to ensure their sustainable growth. One of the interventions is the Kerala Business to Business meet, which will give further impetus to the sector. I hope that the Kerala B2B Meet 2016 will facilitate our SMEs for making a mark in the industrial map of the State through developing their marketing network by using the opportunities provided by the Meet. It is a perfect platform created by the Depart-ment of Industries and Commerce, Government of Kerala for a direct, in depth and productive interac-tion as well as communication between our SMEs and National and International business delegates who visit the B2B Meet.
In the past few years, Kerala’s SME sector has been registering a reasonable growth. It is commendable that the financing of SMEs by various banking institutions has also in-
creased. Unlike many other States, Kerala has a lot of individual investors with sufficient amount of capital and who are willing to set up enterprises. Unfortunately, the society is not encouraging them to go ahead with projects. According to investors, the respective local bodies are posing hurdles citing various reasons rather than pro-moting the industry. Taking this into account, the Department is now keen on creating awareness among the representatives of the local bodies on the importance of ensuring a conductive atmo-sphere for investors and promoting entrepreneur-ship. For this, the local bodies should function pro-actively. Like the previous editions, we expect that the B2B 2016 will further boost the sector. Apart from business generation, events like B2B have done a major role in the benchmarking of products in the sector in an indirect manner. The demand for quality products in the competitive market has forced these SMEs to upgrade quality standards and adopt latest technologies. The avail-ability of migrant labourers has also helped the growth of SMEs to a certain extent.
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Opportunities Face to Face for SMEs5
2004
2005
2015
The right balance between tradi-tional and modern and a criti-
cal mass in manufacturing capacity was used as criterion for identifying the sectors of B2B Meet 2004. They included traditional sectors like Coir, Cashew, Spices, Handloom & Handicrafts and modern sectors like Chemicals, Rubber, Wood Products, Machinery and Processed Food. While 310 units registered as sellers, the number of buyers stood at 303.
In 2005, Kerala B2B focused on eight key sectors - Coir; Handi-
crafts, including Khadi & Village Industries Products; Handlooms, Textiles & Garments; Processed Food & Spices; Construction Materials, Wood & Interior Decorations; Herbal, Ayurveda, Pharmaceuticals; Rubber & Rubber Products; Printing & Pack-aging. As many as 406 buyers took part and interacted with 291 sellers.
In 2015, the sectors in focus were: Food Processing (Food & Spices);
Handlooms, Textiles & Garments; Rubber; Wood-based Industries; Ayurveda & Herbal; Electrical & Electronics and Traditional Sector (Handicrafts, Bamboo, etc.). The total stalls that were given to the sellers were 150. As many as 443 buyers participated in the Meet. There were delegates from France, UAE, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran, Srilanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Ghana and Ethiopia.
KERALA B2B RECAP
Kerala’s Department of Industries and Com-merce has been at the forefront of activities
showcasing the State as a manufacturing base and a reliable supplier of quality goods and services. This has been achieved by organising B2B Meets and trade meets within the State and ensuring participation of business establish-ments in trade meets and exhibitions within the country and outside. It par-ticipated in 38 such events inside Kerala with 1219 stalls in 2013-14 while it represented the State in one international exhibition by setting up 26 stalls.
Director of Industries and Com-merce P M Francis IAS stressed the need for conducting events like B2B regularly. “Then only national and international buyers can include us in their annual purchase plan. By conducting B2B on an annual basis without fail, we have to take these firms into confidence,” he said.
Says V Rajagopal, CEO, K-BIP: “In an environment of intense international competition, Kerala Government has been playing a critical role in catalysing industrial development. It is important that we learn a lot from the dynamic in-
dustrial locations across the globe where respective regional develop-ment agencies assist enterprises.”
As per official data, the total number of SMEs registered in Kerala as on March 31, 2014 is 2,34,251 which is seven per cent more than the previous year’s number of 2,19,444. The total invest-ment was to the tune of Rs. 14,35,301 lakh in 2013-14 against Rs. 12,12,674 lakh of the previous year indicating an increase of 18 per cent. The total value of goods and services produced was
Rs. 50,84,827 lakh which indicates an increase of 17 per cent over Rs. 43,36,994.79 lakh of the previous year.
The total number of employment generated was 11,90,944 while in the previous year it was 11,03,126
indicating an increase of about 8 per cent.
According to State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) report, the outstanding bank credit to MSME sector by the commercial banks in Kerala till March 2015 was Rs. 35,730 crore. In the previous fiscals, it was Rs. 32,069 crore, Rs. 23,563 crore and Rs. 20,593 crore
respectively. As per the fourth All India Census of MSMEs, the total investment made in MSMEs in the country is Rs. 6,89,954.88 crore. Kerala is at the fifth position with Rs. 44,353.53 crore, while Gujarat remains on top with Rs. 1,66,753.68 crore.
KERALA SMEs PRESENT A ROSY PICTURE
P M FRANCIS IASDIRECTOR OF
INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE
V RAJAGOPALCEO, K-BIP
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Opportunities Face to Face for SMEs6
It was the complexity of making tra-ditional food items of Kerala which prompted V S Muraleedharan to explore the possibility of develop-
ing ready-to-cook food products to render the process easier. The CEO and founder of Priya Instant Foods based at Perinthalmanna, Muraleedharan, in fact, had no special product preference when he launched the ready-to-cook avatar of Malayali’s favourite ‘Palada’ as part of his venture in 1983.
Helping Malayalis enjoy the taste of Palada all these years, Priya Instant Foods, popularly known as Priya Pal-ada, now offers a wide array of ready-to-cook traditional food products, including breakfast items, kheer variet-
ies, jackfruit products and more. The company having an annual turnover of Rs. 3.5 crore also brings out a variety of snacks, pickles and curry powders. And, it is to the Business to Business Meets (B2B) that Muraleedharan gives all credit for helping explore diversifica-tion possibilities. He says, “For me, B2B is a platform to know more about the buyers’ demands and to get updated about the market trends. The majority of my diversification plans originated at B2B meets after getting customers’ suggestions about new products, the prospects of which would have oth-erwise gone unnoticed. For instance, I launched ‘Pazham Varatti’ (Banana halwa) after getting to meet a few cus-tomers from Bengaluru during the first B2B.” The company, currently having Rs.3-crore expansion plan to make it wholly mechanized, is looking forward to the upcoming B2B meet.
When he came to know about the huge de-mand for ready-to-eat food products in the
United Kingdom, the CEO and founder of Nikasu Group, K K Pillai, did not think twice to diversify the company into frozen food manufacturing though there was hardly anyone to emulate at that time. Now, after spreading the fla-vours of India across the globe for over 30 years, Nikasu Frozen Foods Lim-ited, Kakkanad has every reason to be proud of; it has bagged many awards, including the National Entrepreneur-ship Award in the MSME sector in 2009, International Biz Award of World Confederation of Businesses in 2010
and the State award instituted by the Industries Department in 2012.
Based at Cochin SEZ, the company exports ready-to-eat South Indian and North Indian snacks and meals, vegetables and fruits to the USA, the UK, Europe and the Middle East, and is presently the supplier of frozen foods to the majority of fast food chains in Kera-la. One of the four manufacturing firms of the Nikasu Group, the company has an annual turnover of Rs.15 crore. As a regular participant of the Business-to-Business meet, the company looks forward to explore new avenues in this edition of the B2B also. “Thanks to the B2B meet, two years ago we got a new customer from the Middle East for our South Indian snacks, meals and frozen food products, which helped us increase our turnover by 25 per cent,’’ said company executive director Ni-shad K Pillai, son of K K Pillai.
TAPPING TRADITIONAL FOOD MARKETS
FROZEN FOOD, SNACKS FOR ALL MARKETS
V S MURALEEDHARANPROPRIETOR
PRIYA PALADA
NISHAD K PILLAIEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NIKASU FROZEN FOODS
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Opportunities Face to Face for SMEs7
For K P Wilson, Managing Director of K P Pathrose Vaidyan’s Kandamkulathy Vaidyasala, Ayurveda is not a
business but a heritage, the purity and credibility of which have to be main-tained through generations. Kandam-kulathy Vaidyasala is the synonym of trust in the field of Ayurveda in Kerala. It offers state-of-the-art treatment facil-ities at its three hospitals in Thiruvana-nthapuram, Kochi and Mala. Medicines are manufactured at its factory situated at Kuzhoor in Mala in Thrissur district. The company also owns an Ayurveda resort at Athirappilly and a botanical garden. Though Kandamkulathy Vaid-yasala was registered as a company only
in 1989, it has a rich heritage of 150 years of providing excellent treatment ever since the setting up of the Vaid-yasala by the iconic Pathrose Vaidyan.
Kandamkulathy Vaidyasala has 300 skilled employees working under it. It has received ‘Ayush Premium’ certifi-cate of the Government of India which has the approval of WHO. According to Wilson, tourists from Germany and Middle East constitute the major-ity of those who come for treatment. ‘Soothika’, a post-pregnancy care treat-ment, is a unique package offered by the hospitals under the supervision of chief physician Dr. Rose Mary Wilson, wife of K P Wilson. Having attended all the previous editions of Kerala B2B, Wilson holds high regard for the event. He also urged the Government to screen all Ayurvedic companies to verify if they are genuine or not before inviting them to take part in the event.
‘Pollution-free environ-ment through use of renewable energy’ is the motto of young
entrepreneur Shyam Kumar, owner of Futuristic Solution, the company manufacturing solar products and offering technical assistance, based at Thiruvallam in Thiruvananthapuram. Apart from manufacturing an array of solar products such as boats, reading lamps, pedal-operated water pumps, grinders and bicycles, Futuristic Solu-tion also imparts technical training to students across the State. Started in 2015, the company has also been extending technical support to many firms making solar products. Shyam
Kumar has tied up with various govern-ment organisations to develop solar products in a bid to spread the message stressing the importance of pollution-free environment.
Shyam Kumar has held successful discussions with various companies in Dubai for exporting solar products. In the domestic sector, Bengaluru and Chennai are the potential markets of Futuristic Solution which also installs small-scale windmills.
One of the pioneers of solar prod-ucts’ manufacturing, Futuristic Solu-tion constantly monitors the electronic/electrical goods market as it focuses on green-clean technology to manufacture its products.
Shyam Kumar, who attended Busi-ness-to-Business meet for the first time in 2015, pins hopes on its 2016 edition to bring about positive outcomes in the business.
K P WILSONMANAGING DIRECTOR
K P PATHROSE VAIDYAN’S KANDAMKULATHY VAIDYASALA
SHYAM KUMAR SPROPRIETOR
FUTURISTIC SOLUTION
BLENDING TRADITION AND INNOVATION
SOLAR PRODUCTS FOR A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT
KERALAB2B MEET 20
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Opportunities Face to Face for SMEs8
Customised and readymade household and office fur-niture of genuine quality at affordable prices; this is the
slogan which helped Kairali Inter-national Furniture, a Thrissur-based wood products’ manufacturing com-pany, conquer the market with an array of wooden furniture manufactured at its own factory at Mundoor.
P K Kader Mon, owner of Kairali In-ternational Furniture, values customer satisfaction as the company focuses more on customised products rather than marketing traditional models. Ever since it started functioning 12 years ago, the company has been manu-facturing all kinds of wooden furniture
purely on customers’ demand. Raw materials are sourced from
regional market (within the State) to produce goods and plywood furniture in the factory with 30 employees. Be-sides domestic market that spans across India, it exports products to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The company has recently opened a new unit at Sharjah which helps it tap new business in the UAE. According to Kader Mon, the setting up of company’s new unit was a milestone for them as it provides sufficient space to showcase various furniture in a foreign country.
The company participated in the Business-to-Business meet last year and is hoping to strike new business deals in the 2016 event. “Any new entrepre-neur can achieve success in this busi-ness if he produces quality furniture based on customers’ demand,” adds Kader Mon.
‘‘We produce custom-ised rubber products on
demand without compromising on their quality,” says Lekha Jiju, Managing Partner of Technoflex Rubber Products, the rubber products’ manufacturing company situated at Airapuram Rub-ber Park industrial area. The company started functioning in 2005, mainly focusing on manufacturing of vari-ous moulded rubber products ranging from jackets to tyres. Seal, grommets, gaskets, flaps, bellows and engineering components, O-ring and rollers are the other major products of the company. The firm, which employes 20 skilled
workers, purchases raw materials from the local market besides sourcing from Mumbai, Delhi and Coimbatore. Apart from exporting to Saudi Arabia, Technoflex supplies products to Cochin Shipyard Limited and FACT. In the last few years, the company has been successfully exporting different types of rubber products to the USA.
The company also manufactures metal and plastic components depend-ing on the demand from customers. “Since rubber industry witnesses stiff competition, it is not easy for a new entrepreneur to survive. Making quality products is the only way to tap business,” says Proprietor Arvin Raghunath. Though the company took part in the B2B meet last year, it could not manage to receive new major orders. However, it is optimistic about the 2016 Business-to-Business meet being held in Kochi.
CUSTOMISED FURNITURE FOR EVERY CLIENT
RUBBER PRODUCTS ON CUSTOMERS’ DEMAND
LEKHA JIJUMANAGING PARTNER
TECHNOFLEX RUBBER PRODUCTS
P K KADER MONMANAGING PARTNER
KAIRALI INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE
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Opportunities Face to Face for SMEs9
When Santhi P, propri-etor of Deepa Gar-ments and Exporting, Thrissur, decided to
start apparel business soon after com-pleting her BTech degree in Electronics in 1993, many had raised eyebrows at her decision and even termed it as ‘sui-cidal.’ But her passion for textile busi-ness, which she has nurtured all these years, has made her one of the leading business women in the State.
At a time when women entrepre-neurs were not confident enough to kick off a business, Santhi boldly opened a textile showroom in her na-tive place, Kozhikode in 1993. After over two decades, Santhi is now the
proud owner of ‘Deepa Garments and Exporting’ which exports large quantity of clothing to other parts of the country besides many foreign countries. The 20,000-sq. ft. building of the company is equipped with modern machines to design various dress items both for women and men. While designer garments and home furnishing ma-terials are mainly manufactured here, other dress materials are sourced from Korea, Ahmedabad, Surat and Amrit-sar, Santhi says. The young business-woman also runs an institution named ‘Institute of Indian Textiles Designing’ to train aspiring youngsters who wish to be part of textile business. Recalling the first Business-to-Business meet she attended in 2015, Santhi proudly said that the event helped her company to sell products worth Rs. 5 crore. ‘‘More buyers should be brought to the B2B meet 2016,” she says.
Agus Jaison, owner of Agus International, entered the handicrafts business field in 1992 by setting up a
handicrafts manufacturing unit at his village Pulluvazhy at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district. From a humble beginning, the business firm has grown over the years and is now bringing out around 1500 different products ranging from household products to toys for children, all made of cane and bam-boo. Besides domestic market, Agus International exports its products to 44 countries, including Italy, Germany, France, USA, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Large number of skilled artisans from states such as Assam, Bengal,
Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Manipur and Tamil Nadu are actively involved in producing eco-friendly products at the factory. In an attempt to promote eco-friendly products and spread awareness about their importance, Jaison now plans to organise a trip from Kanyaku-mari to Srinagar during which he will procure handicraft products from local artisans across the country.
Though he faced some obstacles especially in the initial stages, Jaison is now happy that he could establish a successful business. The middle-aged businessman says he is keeping fingers crossed in anticipation of the upcoming Kerala Business-to-Business Meet as its previous edition has helped him reg-ister a reasonable growth by brokering business deals with new clients from Saudi Arabia. Jaison is the president of All Kerala Cane and Bamboo Handi-crafts Manufacturing Association.
INFINITE VARIETY OF HANDICRAFT PRODUCTS
MAKING A MARK INAPPAREL BUSINESS
SANTHI PMANAGING DIRECTORDEEPA GARMENTS &
EXPORTING
AGUS JAISONPROPRIETOR
AGUS INTERNATIONAL
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VIGNETTES FROM PREVIOUS B2B MEETS1 2
6
4
5
3
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1. INDUSTRIES MINISTER P K KUNHALIKUTTY LAUNCHING THE LOGO OF KERALA B2B 2016. 2. K-BIP CEO V RAJAGOPAL LEADING THE ROAD SHOW AT GOA. 3. CHIEF MINISTER OOMMEN CHANDY INAUGURATING KERALA B2B 2015. 4. BUYERS HAVE A LOOK AT PRODUCTS IN ONE OF THE STALLS AT B2B 2015. 5. INDUSTRIES & IT PRINCIPAL SECRETARY P H KURIAN IAS SPEAKING AT THE ROAD SHOW HELD IN KOLKATA 6. DELEGATES OF B2B 2015. 7-11. SNAPSHOTS FROM THE KERALA B2B 2015 HELD IN KOCHI.
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Edited, Designed and Produced by Destination Business Media Pvt. Ltd., Thiruvananthapuram for K-BIPPhone: +91 471 2306643, +91 94955 06643 | Email: [email protected]
CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS: ANILA BACKER AND JINESH DEVASIA
Genuineness of buyers and well-planned meetings make Kerala B2B the most effective platform
for the State’s SMEs to strike business deals. Playing a pivotal role in mak-ing Kerala B2B the most dependable platform are Department of Indus-tries and Commerce, Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Kerala Bu-reau of Industrial Promotion (K-BIP), Directorate of Handlooms & Textiles, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) and Kerala In-dustrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA). The District Industries Centre in each district has identified 200 SME units for the Meet. The highest number of registrations was received from the food process-ing industry, 81. The number of other sellers are electrical & electronics – 27, Ayurveda and herbal – 17, handloom, textiles and garments – 23, rubber – 14, traditional sector (handicrafts) – 17 and wood-based industries – 21.
FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Indus-try), the trade and industry partner of
the event, is entrusted with the task of registering national and international buyers for the event.
In the 2015 edition, the event witnessed 5000-plus B2B interactions while it expects more than 7000 such meetings to happen in the latest edi-tion. Business enquiries to the tune of Rs. 250 crore were generated. There were 39 international buyers from countries like France, UAE, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ghana and Ethiopia. According to Savio Mathew, Head, FICCI Kerala State Council, FICCI’s business division has put in place a specific system to bring branded buyers to the meet, ensure one-to-one meetings as per a pre-planned schedule and develop a stable and sustainable business relationship.
“Registration of buyers for the
event is through online. To guarantee their participation after registration, the buyers are required to submit a Demand Draft (DD) worth Rs. 5000, which is refundable at the end of the event. In a bid to ensure effective business discussions, entry to the venue is restricted after the inaugura-tion. Each buyer and seller is given a schedule so that they know in advance who will be meeting them and when,” Mathew said. The State Government is providing accommo-dation and pick-up and drop facilities for both national and international buyers.
As per the agreement with K-BIP, FICCI has to bring in 300 national and 50 international buyers. “Like in the previous edition, there is an over-flow of firms to participate as buyers in the event. However, we finalise the firms only after a scrutiny by the Industries Department. We expect that the event will turn out to be a big success. On the final day, we will an-nounce details regarding number of business interactions held during the event,” he said.
THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND B2B MEET
