By On World Entrepreneurs’ Day six coconut oil units get Kerala Brand certificate
Coinciding with World Entrepreneurs’ Day, the state Industries and Commerce Department today awarded the Kerala Brand certification to six coconut oil expeller units, marking the first phase of the pioneering initiative to tap into growing global market for high quality goods and services.
Speaking while awarding the Kerala Brand certificate to the selected coconut oil expeller units,Minister for Industries, Law and Coir Shri P Rajeeve said this initiative will enable goods and services from the state to tap into the growing domestic and global demand for authentic and ethically made products.
“This is a pioneering initiative, taken up by the Department of Industries and Commerce on a mission-mode, for ensuring the quality and authenticity of diverse products from the state so as to accelerate their huge market potential,” Shri Rajeeve said.
“Kerala itself is a globally renowned brand, still, it is vitally important to ensure that products bearing Kerala Brand stand out on account of their quality as well as ethical and responsible practices in their making. If we make no compromise on these, then we can raise our products to international standards and tap the global market,” he said.
“In the post-pandemic world people have serious anxieties about health. Instead of going after big global brands they look for clean and ethical products. This has opened up great opportunities to enterprises in Kerala as the demand for indigenous products are on the rise,” Shri Rajeeve said.
The first lot of six coconut oil expeller units were given the Kerala Brand certificate after it was ensured that they met all the parameters set by the Department of Industries & Commerce. They also received the approval of the Taluk-level selection committees concerned.
The first set of units to receive the Kerala Brand status are six coconut oil expellers—MRL Kuttanadan Coconut Oil (Alappuzha), Kedison Expellers (Kottayam), Varapetty Coconut Oil (Ernakulam), K M Oil Industries, Sahakari Integrated Coconut Processing Plant (Anjarakandy FSC Band Ltd, Kannur) and Kallatra Oil Mills (Kasaragod). Considering its huge demand as a kitchen staple, coconut oil has been selected for the first phase of branding.
The Kerala Brand, ‘Nanma’, is envisaged to deliver an appealing image of Kerala’s products and services to help them tap the global demand for high quality authentic and ethically made consumer goods bearing the traditional imprint of the state, Shri Rajeeve said.
The branding project is aimed at creating a unique identity for the indigenous products, underscoring Kerala’s commitment to quality as well as ethical and responsible practices, the Minister said.
Principal Secretary (Industries and Commerce) Shri APM Mohammed Hanish, who presided over the function, said this project will significantly benefit the grass root level enterprises to come out with diverse products based on locally available resources.
This will also generate jobs and enhance productivity, besides discouraging unethical market practices. Another set of 14 products bearing Kerala brand will reach the market soon, he added.
Shri S Harikishore, Director of Industries & Commerce and Managing Director, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) said through this unique initiative Kerala has set a pioneering model for the entire country.
This initiative also put across a message that Kerala is uncompromising in quality and ethical industrial practices, Shri Harikishore said.
Coconut oil was selected as the first lot of products for awarding the Kerala brand since it is a unique product of the state. In all, 25 enterprises applied for the tag and six of them got selected after they went through the procedures set for that. These units make their product entirely out of coconut and copra procured from within the state. They also have Agmark tag, BIS 542:2018 certification and Udyam registration.
The products acquiring Kerala Brand could be sold in domestic and international with “Made in Kerala” tag.
Units can apply for getting Kerala Brand through https://www.keralabrand.industry.kerala.gov.in/
The project seeks to bring all major products of Kerala under the Kerala Brand step-by-step, ensuring their authenticity, quality and work place ethics, based on clear-cut protocols and leveraging digital facilities like hologram and QR Code.
Shri Harikrishnan R, Executive Director KSIDC; Shri Ajith Kumar K, Executive Chairman, Board for Public Sector Transformation; Shri Santhosh Koshy Thomas, MD KINFRA; Shri A Nizarudeen, President KSSIA, Shri Hassan Usaid NA, Asst Director General of Foreign Trade; Shri Suraj S, CEO KBIP; Smt Resmi DS, Deputy Director, Coconut Development Board; Shri Sandeep S Kumar, Joint Director BIS and Shri Rajeev G, Additional Director Industries & Commerce were present.
