Ramesh Dugar, president, HCC, Minister T.R.B. Rajaa, and Vijay Sankar, Chairman, The Sankar Group, at the 79th annual session of Hindustan Chamber of Commerce on Monday.
| Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan
:
Minister for Industries T.R.B. Rajaa told industries in the State to focus on research and development (R&D), which the State is very keen on.
“I went to the Singapore University of Technology and Design. The industry there is giving problem statements to the students to solve, and also paying them $6,000, and kids are playing with prototypes everywhere. That is what we want to see in leading colleges like Anna University,” he said, addressing the 79th annual session of the Hindustan Chamber of Commerce (HCC).
“As a government, we are ready to get this done. I think unlocking the minds of youngsters is key to unlocking the potential of Tamil Nadu’s future. I urge the industries to collaborate with the Government of Tamil Nadu,” he added.
Speaking at the event, Vijay Sankar, Chairman, The Sanmar Group, and vice-president, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), said with the income tax rate cuts and GST 2.0 reforms, the expectation was that greater spend would be left in the hands of the public. This would ultimately result in greater demand, greater capacity utilisation, and fresh investments.
He also stressed the need for growth in manufacturing. “China’s R&D spend today is $400 billion. India’s R&D spend is just $20 billion. R&D is one of lead indicator of development, and we have long way to go,” Mr. Sankar said.
Mr. Rajaa inaugurated the digital platform of HCC, and also released its logo as part of the 80th year celebrations.
Ramesh Dugar, Chairman and Managing Director, Dugar Finance and Investments Ltd., was unanimously elected the 80th president of HCC for the year 2025-26 at the Annual General Meeting.
T. Praveen Kumar Tatia, president–elect, HCC, also spoke.
Published – September 30, 2025 01:20 am IST
