The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) and the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) organised the 'Investor Conclave 2024' in Kozhikode. The event was inaugurated by Industries, Law, and Coir Minister P. Rajeeve. Speaking on the occasion, Minister Rajeeve said that Kozhikode has the potential to become the leading non-leather footwear hub in India. He highlighted the district's rich legacy in the leather footwear industry and urged entrepreneurs to leverage this expertise to build a distinct brand for Kozhikode's non-leather footwear industry.
The minister also noted that the footwear industry has huge possibilities and that reviving the industry in Kozhikode would create more job opportunities and benefit Kerala's industry sector as a whole. The conclave also highlighted the booming private industrial park sector in Kerala. The state aims to have 35 private industrial parks by March 2024, with 20 more already approved. Minister Rajeeve encouraged local entrepreneurs to set up similar parks in Kozhikode.
The function was presided over by A. P. M. Mohammed Hanish, Principal Secretary (Industries), with S. Harikishore, Director of Industries and Commerce and Managing Director of KSIDC. Col. Pankaj Kumar Sinha, Managing Director of FDDI; V. K. C. Razzak, Chairman of All India MSME Footwear Council; Ranjith Babu, General Manager of DIC; Kozhikode; and P. S. Suni, Assistant General Manager of KSIDC, also addressed the gathering. The conclave featured various sessions led by Dr. Narasimhugari TL Reddy, Executive Director of FDDI and former Collector of Kozhikode, along with faculty members from FDDI Chennai: Shri Prince Joseph, Shri D. Ramesh, and Shri Rajesh Nair.
