People at the management level ought to develop their skill levels just as workers should, M.P. Sukumaran Nair, chairman of the government’s Restructuring and Internal Audit Board, has said.

Speaking at a session on “The potential of Kerala’s industrial growth and role of the public sector in Kerala 2.0” at the Krithi book festival here on Wednesday, Mr. Nair said that the State should develop large-scale industrial units utilising the mineral beach-sand (karimanal) which contained titanium, in the Chavara-Neendakra area. Titanium could also have ancillary industries, a release issued by the organisers quoting him said.

Mr. Nair suggested that the State should also have very large scale projects such as petrochemical complexes. When the petrochemical project took off, it would contribute at least ₹1,000 to ₹1,500 crore to the State coffers. “We should make advances in hardware development as well,” he said.

Prasad K. Panicker, executive director of BPCL’s Kochi Refinery, said that the government’s move to set up industrial parks would be highly beneficial as it was required for the value addition of the products from the petrochemical complex.

Madhu S. Nair, chairman, Cochin Shipyard Ltd, said Kerala’s image as an industry-friendly State still needed improvement. Many industrialists considered Kerala as a State prone to labour strikes, affecting our investment prospects, he said. K. Chandran Pillai, trade union leader, said that the State’s major strength was its highly educated work force.