Trade centre still eludes south TN's biz hub Thoothukudi

THOOTHUKUDI: Even as Thoothukudi is a buzzing industrial hub in south Tamil Nadu, the district still lacks a trade centre to exhibit its products and maintain cordial ties with other trade fraternities. An announcement to establish a trade centre for the region has been remaining on paper for the last seven years, even after five acres of land near the Fisheries College on Express Port Highways was allotted for the project.

Thoothukudi is an industrial town on the southern strip of the Coromandel Coast, equipped with road, rail, air and water connectivity. At least 20,000 MSME units, including unregistered ones, provide employment to over five lakh people here. Business experts opine a trade centre-like platform between buyers and sellers could have better fostered the region's economic growth.

Thoothukudi District Tiny and Small Scale Industries (Thuditssia) President Nehru Prakash told TNIE, "The district has an assorted variety of industries, and their products need exposure around the world by way of fairs and industrial exhibitions. The number of MSME units categorised as Non Performing Assets by banks is very low in Thoothukudi when compared to the figures of other districts. The State and district administrations should take steps to establish a trade centre in Thoothukudi so that the manufacturers can meet buyers and ancillary business partners in a commonplace". The land allotted for Thoothukudi trade centre opposite to fisheries college Express Port Highways back in 2015, still remains as an announcement," he said 

At present, the industrialists have to organise expos, trade fairs and other programmes at private facilities spending lakhs of rupees every time. "The benefits of a trade centre in Thoothukudi would include bigger business deals, a higher number of job opportunities, increase in the average income of existing employees, economical growth of the region, etc," a manufacturer from the district said.

According to District Industries Centre (DIC) General Manager A Swarnalatha, industries having an investment of around `50 crore and an annual turnover of up to `250 crore come under MSME. She confirmed that land was allotted years back. A trade centre is indeed required for Thoothukudi to exploit its potential, she said. 

The business people have urged the authorities to revive the pending trade centre project proposal and commence construction on the five acres of land near the Fisheries College, that was allotted seven years ago.