The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, will initiate measures to help traders go digital.
C. Balasubramanian, Managing Partner of Sivasakthi Paper Mart, who was elected president of the Chamber for 2020-22, told The Hindu digitalisation of trade was important and in another 10 years or so, trade and businesses would have to have a presence on the online platform. “We need to change. The Chamber will assist them (traders) with technology and resource persons. We start with facilitation work immediately,” he said.
The Chamber had 96 associations as its members. It would start working closely with each of them as efforts such as going digital needed the support of all trades. Further, the Chamber would start focusing on agriculture, apart from trade, industry, and services. It would look at taking members to districts, States, and countries that focused on organic agriculture.
Mr. Balasubramaniam added that a large number of women were managing trade or supporting their family in running the business. They would have larger representation in the Chamber and efforts would be made for empowering women in business. Two more areas that would be given more thrust were strengthening of international trade and arbitration system to settle disputes.
In the long-term, the Chamber would look at promoting Coimbatore as a shopping destination and give a boost to medical tourism, he added.
The Chamber decided to represent to the State government the infrastructure demands of Coimbatore district, including better rail and air connectivity, roads, water, and electricity. It also passed a resolution at the annual meeting held on Monday to represent to the State government on the need for organic agriculture policy and to set up farmer assist committees.
Outgoing president V. Lakshminarayanasamy said the Chamber had been writing to the Central government to include Coimbatore International Airport in the Bilateral Air Services Agreement that would give better international connectivity to this region.
