Interactive session with Guidance MD held

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry jointly organized an interactive session with Dr Darez Ahamed, managing director and CEO of guidance, department of industries, investment promotion and commerce on Wednesday at a private hotel in the city.
Ahamed shared insights from his recent visit to Germany, where he observed that many Mittelstand (SME) companies have established direct connections and partnerships with Coimbatore-based firms. These German companies highly appreciated the cost-effective problem-solving capabilities of Coimbatore companies, which prompted his visit to understand the city’s industrial strength further.
He remarked that Coimbatore has the potential to contribute 30-40% to Tamil Nadu’s GDP, aligning with the state’s vision of achieving a USD 1 trillion economy. He acknowledged existing bottlenecks, including infrastructure challenges, and informed the audience that the Eastern and Western bypass road projects are currently under proposal.
District collector Pavankumar K Giriyappanavar said that the Kongu region is the growth engine of Tamil Nadu. He lauded the people-driven nature of the district, where innovative ideas often originate and spread, and highlighted how suggestions from citizens and industry leaders have been incorporated into government actions.
Coimbatore has seen significant growth in the past 3-4 years, with projects such as the airport expansion, multimodal logistics park, metro rail, and the city master and mobility plans progressing well, he 
added.
Rajesh Doraiswamy, chairman of CII Coimbatore zone, and joint managing director of Salzer electronics limited expressed gratitude to the Guidance Bureau and the state government for their seamless efforts in attracting investments.
He described Coimbatore as a self-made city that has evolved from textiles to IT and GCCs, while still holding on to its core values. 
He highlighted the city’s entrepreneurial spirit and noted the potential in sectors like GCC, logistics, and semiconductors, where CII Coimbatore is actively preparing white papers and initiatives.
He urged that Coimbatore’s current 15% contribution to the state GDP should be scaled up to 30% in line with the USD 1 trillion goal.
Mr Rajesh B Lund, President, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore Chapter and Director, Srivari Infrastructure Private limited, thanked Guidance and the Tamil Nadu Government for their infrastructure efforts, including metro rail, airport expansion.