Shri Tom Jose IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala,

Janab Jamal Al Zaabi, Hon’ble Consul General of UAE Consulate for Kerala & South India,

Hon’ble Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis, Major Archbishop of Syro-Malankara Catholic Church,

Shri Karan Adani, Chief Executive Officer, Adani Ports,

Shri Tony Thomas, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Nissan Motor Company Ltd, Japan,

Shri Ajay Prasad, Taurus Investment Holdings, United States,

Shri S.N. Raghuchandran Nair, President, Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry,

Shri Suresh Mathew, Chairman, Awards Committee,

Shri Abraham Thomas, Secretary, Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry,

Leaders of various Industries,

Sahodaree Sahodaranmare,

Ellavarkkum Ente Namaskaram.

       I am very happy to address you after presenting the Excellence Awards instituted by the Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Let me at the outset, congratulate all the eminent persons honored today and hope that this recognition will encourage them to chart for our State, novel paths of progress and development in the years to come.

I also convey my appreciation for the Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which has taken initiative to conduct such a function. I am informed that the Chamber has been honoring the achievers in Business on an annual basis over the years. As a premier organization of trade and industry, it has been rendering sustained service to the trading and industrial community as well as society in general.

In the last fifty years, Commerce and Business have gained great acceptance as key factors that can usher in progress. It is also worth noting that at even before the legal stipulation about the need for corporate social responsibility, we have seen many business houses strengthening their involvement in the process of social development.  I feel that, the decision of the Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry to focus on the development of the city of Thiruvananthapuram, is a sign of such an involvement and commitment.

We are aware of the plans for the development of the city of Thiruvananthapuram, which is gearing up to be fully empowered both digitally and in terms of infrastructure. The smart city project and the initiatives in the transport and other areas are expected to change the face of this city and that of Kerala in the coming years.  It is this vision that has encouraged the Chamber to identify five core areas of development and to honor the people who are contributing to those areas through effective leadership.

As the Chancellor of the State Universities, I am happy that the Chamber has identified Education as the most significant area of development. Of late, the number of institutions in the higher education sector has increased considerably and our State is slowly establishing its strength as a preferred educational destination. We have been seeing the rise of new Knowledge hubs and the Mar Ivanios Vidya Nagar in Thiruvananthapuram has set an example in this area.  The most respected Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis, Major Archbishop, who leads this Knowledge-hub certainly deserves to be honoured for his visionary leadership.

It is on the strong foundation of education that other areas of development must be built. At present, with an educated workforce, Kerala is poised to reap a lion's share of the fruits of India's demographic dividend in the coming years. Having noticed how our workforce empowers the economy of other countries, the United Arab Emirates was quick to consider this city as a diplomatic destination. I recall having inaugurated the Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram and I see its presence as a recognition of the industrious nature of our citizens who work in the Gulf countries.  I also recall the assistance that came our way from the UAE after we were shaken by the recent floods.
I am happy that the Trivandrum chamber of Commerce and Industry has honored the Hon’ble Consul General Janab Jamal Al Zaabi for placing our capital city in the global diplomatic map, thereby fostering international understanding.

It was only very recently that we had discussed the possibilities of Port-led development of Thiruvananthapuram, in the light of the upcoming Vizhinjam International Transhipment Terminal. Much more than a project, it is a long cherished dream of the people of Kerala in terms of infrastructure. So, we must leverage its true potential without compromising on the interests and uplift of the coastal communities. I hope Shri Karan Adani, Chief Executive Officer ofAdani Ports, who has been honored today,   would give special attention to the needs of our coastal communities.

As all of us know, Kerala has been rightly hailed as a potential power house of India's digital initiatives. In fact, we have made great progress in creating a platform for the use of technology in service delivery and governance. With the best connectivity and the highest mobile penetration, Kerala's   readiness to embrace disruptive technologies like Artificial Intelligence has been noted globally, as is evident from Nissan Motor Corporation establishing its Digital Hub in our Technopark. I hope Shri Tony Thomas, who has been honoured today, would use his position as Vice President of the company to see that more youth from Kerala come forward to gain expertise in the disruptive technologies that would power our future.

As I mentioned earlier, our progress in areas like Information Technology has attracted investment from various countries. The integrated township at ourIT corridor, which would accelerate the growth of Thiruvananthapuram as a smart city is one example of how such investments usher in modernity and change. I compliment the efforts of Shri Ajay Prasad, in attracting Taurus Investment Holdings of the United States to invest in Kerala.

Today, every emerging technology offers a new business area, but we have a dearth of trained manpower to take such businesses forward and make profit from them. This situation calls for urgent stepping up of our facilities for training and skill development in various businesses. It is here that organizations like the Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry could take the lead and become a guiding force.   I feel that the regular involvement of the Chamber and various business units could also enrich the government's policy related to skill development.

I once again compliment the Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry for taking the initiative to honour these eminent ambassadors of our State's development.

I also congratulate all the awardees and wish them further success.

Ellavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal

Nanni

Jai Hind