Speaking about the conference, Rafeek Younus, managing director of Saudi Engineering Group International (SEGI) and Orion Sargam, said "it's a first of its kind in Kerala." "It will bring together potential non-resident Keralite (NRK) investors in the Gulf with ministers and other top officials in the state, giving them an ideal environment to discuss business," Younus told Arab News.
"It will give business leaders an opportunity to discuss diverse investment opportunities in Kerala," he said, adding that it would contribute to forging a strategic partnership between the public and private sectors to develop Trivandrum into a global city.
"We would like to hold similar investment conferences in other major cities of Kerala like Cochin and Calicut in order to promote investment projects and make use of NRK funds for the overall development of the state," Younus said.
Orion Sargam, an investment group of NRKs in Saudi Arabia, is spearheading the program to create investment opportunities for NRKs. "We have got the full support of the government," Younus said. Union Cabinet Minister for Overseas Indians Affairs Vylar Ravi is likely to open the conference.
He said 100 selected NRK investors in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates would take part in the event. "We are organizing this conference during the vacation time in the Gulf in order to ensure the participation of a large number of investors with their families," he added.
He said the new projects would be implemented with the support of the Kerala ministries of tourism, education and industry. "We have embarked on this program not only to create investment opportunities for NRKs but also to promote social development projects across the state," he said.
He said the presence of ministers and top government officials would enable investors to discuss their problems face to face. "This is our first step in the way of generating much-needed funds for our development projects." He hoped the conference would give a platform for the many unknown NRK investors in the Gulf to get together and make joint investments.
Education and Culture Minister M.A. Baby, former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shashi Tharoor, Opposition leader Oomen Chandy, president of Saihati Group Najeeb Al-Saihati, M.D. Nalappad, M.T. Vasudevan Nair and O.N.V. Kurup will attend the event.
The four projects in Trivandrum to be promoted during the event are: Kundara Cultural Village, a technical college and two ventures associated with Kerala State Women Development Corporation and Small Industries Development Corporation.
Prominent artists and film stars have been invited to entertain the business leaders and their families. An award ceremony of Prem Nazir Foundation will be held on the sidelines of the conference. "Prem Nazir, who is the ever-green hero of Malayalam cinema, was a social reformer and legendary personality," Younus said. The program includes visits to tourist centers in Trivandrum as well as a Soorya cultural show of music and dance by some 200 artists under the direction of Soorya Krishnamoorthy.
