New 'entrepreneur friendly' industrial policy in the pipeline

PUDUCHERRY: Revenue and industries minister M O H F Shah Jahan has said that the government would soon bring in a new industrial policy with a major thrust on non-polluting enterprises.

He announced this while addressing a meeting of officials of the department of industries, Pondicherry Industrial Promotion Development and Investment Corporation and representatives of various industries' associations on Wednesday.

"We want to have an industrial policy in keeping with the present changing scenario that would also be entrepreneur friendly," he said.

Shah Jahan said a delegation of officials representing Government of Malaysia had already held discussions with him and Chief Minister V Narayanasamy to promote investment by Malaysian government and entrepreneurs in the Puducherry.

He added that the government was keen to promote food processing, electronic, information technology based units, and several other units which did not consume much power and did not depend on copious underground water supply.

These industries should also be labour intensive so that more jobs could be generated, he added.