The Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) ought make its presence felt in ways more meaningful than seeking incentives/concessions and other favours from the government. It is not anyone’s case that the chamber should not react to the government industrial policy (2006-11) announcement. My point is that Mysore expects more from the representative body of the city’s business and commercial interests.

One would like to see MCCI in a proactive mode, notably, when there is so much talk of a real estate boom, unfulfilled infrastructure needs and apparent reluctance of companies (TCS is an example) to come to Mysore. Maybe MCCI is doing some off-media spadework and liaison for projecting/promoting Mysore’s economic growth. But, now and then, they could share with us initiatives MCCI is taking to get more industry presence and employment opportunities for Mysore.

From my limited perspective, as a public-spirited individual, I would like to see MCCI:

1)     Evolving ongoing working groups to study various aspects of the growth agenda such as housing, transport (road, rail and air), services sector improvement, employment generation, environment upgrades, Internet connectivity, corporate social welfare obligation and  a host of other sharply focused aspects of the city’s development imperatives.

2)     Setting up a mechanism to interact with other professional interests groups - CII, Builders Association of India (BAI), tourism & hospitality sector, Rotary Clubs - even though MCCI may have overlapping membership with such agencies.

3)     Taking up joint feasibility studies and economic surveys with b-schools under sponsorship secured from Infosys, PSI and other corporate interests that have a prominent Mysore presence.

4)     Creating a joint lobby, in association with BAI, CII and others, to push city-centric agenda. For instance, there is a call by BAI for allowing high-rise buildings in notified localities.

5)     Getting away from pre-set options, notably, seeking incentives and concessions from government.

Mysore may not be an industrially well developed taluk, but it certainly is much better off than most other taluks in Karnataka. We can’t be projecting Mysore as a conducive Tier-2 destination for IT and other companies, while, at the same time, having MCCI seek industrial concessions and incentives given to a backward taluk.

Isn’t there a contradiction in this ?