Tatas looking for investment in J&K

Jammu and Kashmir may soon see investments by Tata Group companies aimed at reviving the state economy and generating jobs for the local youth.

A delegation of Tata Group officials headed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Senior Vice President and Global Head Venguswamy Ramaswamy arrived here on Tuesday for a three-day visit to the state seeking possibilities of joint business collaborations.

The officials met local industrialists and entrepreneurs of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss possibilities of joint business collaborations, training and development programmes. They also addressed students at University of Kashmir.

"The purpose of the visit is to look at Jammu and Kashmir in a holistic 360 degree view to participate in the development and growth of the state in a large way," said Ramaswamy addressing the students.

He said the Tata Group Chairman asked them to get a ground-level feedback by meeting people from different areas, including people from agriculture, handloom, saffron growers and artisans related to handicrafts.

"Another aspect of the visit is to create synergy between J&K and its neighbouring states such as Punjab and Haryana," he said.

Given the natural wealth and resources that J&K has, the team is looking at avenues to make the state available for the larger wellness of the country, he added.

The Tata Group, which has more than 105 companies with eight lakh employees and $100 billion revenue, will be launching J&K-specific programmes and initiatives to develop the right talent in the state.

Other members from Tata Group include Girish Krishnamurthy, Vice President and Head Strategic Initiatives, Chairman's Office, Tata Group and Shankar Ranganathan, Principal, Tata Strategic Management Group.

The team also held interaction with employees of information technology companies at Rangreth Industrial Estates and discussed possibility of training youth in the IT sector.

Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Sheikh Ashiq who interacted with the Tata Group executives said the focus of the meeting was on joint collaborations in service sector and other areas such as healthcare and education. IANS