Media Release

Bengaluru, Jun 23: Kishore Alva, who is heading the Corporate Affairs, Projects and CSR for Adani Group in Karnataka, took over the position of president of Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC). This was announced during the 41st Annual General Meeting of BCIC held at Hotel Le-Meridien, Bengaluru. H D Deve Gowda, former prime minister of India, was the chief guest and Dr G Parameshwar, deputy chief minister was the guest of honour for the event.

Bangalore Chamber of Industries & Commerce, BCIC (earlier known as Greater Mysore Chamber of Industry (GMCI)) is the Apex Chamber of Commerce representing large and medium industries in Karnataka.The chamber represents 95% of the capital investment and 90% of labour employed in Karnataka. Presently, BCIC is having a membership of 750 companies representing various sectors of industry such as – Manufacturing, IT/ITES, Biotechnology, Engineering, Consultancy and Legal firms etc.

Congratulating Alva, Deve Gowda delivered a keynote address on the theme ‘Need to change existing citizen interface approaches to enhance benefit delivery to citizens in Karnataka’ to the industry captains present during the AGM.

Dr G Parameshwar spoke about the topic ‘Changes in approaches being taken by Governments to ensure connect with citizens and delivery of programmes’.

Kishore Alva, with his rich experience of more than 24 years with various multi-national organizations, especially in the field of energy, is associated with BCIC for the past 10 years and has served as chairman of the Expert Committee on Energy, Environment and Water for three years. He was the chairman for special committee of BCIC formed for government/public affairs and is an active member for the management committee for the past six years. He has played a key role in creating a platform for the industry forums to discuss the industrial development issues with the government.

Alva, who hails from Dakshina Kannada district, completed master’s degree from reputed Mangalore University and during his college days he was president of the Students’ Council at St Aloysius College, Mangaluru, president of All College Students Union for Dakshina Kannada and also president of Post Graduate Students Council, Mangala Gangotri, Konaje.

Alva, who is presently serving energy sector pioneer Adani Group, as head of Corporate Affairs, Projects and CSR for the State of Karnataka, is well known for corporate planning, corporate affairs and business expansion. He has played a vital role in bringing Adani Group in the Invest Karnataka Summit – 2016, a global investors’ meet, wherein Adani Group has declared a lead investment of Rs 21,000 crores including Rs. 11,500 crores for UPCL expansion; Rs 7,000 for the solar project and Rs 500 crores for additional jetty in Mangaluru Port.

Alva, after taking over as a president of BCIC from Sridevi Pankajam, managing director of ANZ Group, in Bengaluru, informed that over the years, BCIC has built good working relations with not only bureaucracy but also with various political leadership in the state. He also told that whenever there is any discussion on policy, BCIC tops the list for inputs by both union and state governments.

In his vision for BCIC for the year ahead, Alva emphasized that state should represent growth strategies on various fronts, especially in the field of infrastructure development facilitating promoting the industries. He informed that government should think of creating a traffic free corridor in the metro cities, development of lakes to beautify the cities, reviewing the existing single window clearing system, land allotment process which facilitates more investments into the state. Establishing the industrial townships, formulating a policy to protect and safeguard the interest of industries, opportunity for trade bodies to discuss the Industries’ grievances with the state government are few of the points emphasized by Alva during his address.

He further told that going forward, BCIC would like to further strengthen its relationship with both the state and central government, actively get involved with government policy initiatives especially, in the manufacturing sector in Karnataka.

Similarly, BCIC would like to be part of new policies that are being formulated in the areas of agro and food processing, renewable energy, start up, Innovation and incubation, MSME and similar such sector specific policies. BCIC will also empower corporates to focus on critical and relevant issues resulting in an impact-oriented industrial growth in the state, Alva added.

Pankajam Sridevi, out-going president of BCIC, Prof Vasanthi Srinivasan, professor from IIM, Bengaluru, Harish Bhat, brand custodian of Tata Sons, Dr Anand Deshpande, founder & CMD of Persistent Systems, Praveen Kumar, MD of JP Morgan Chase, Devesh Agarwal, vice president of BCIC, Raju Bhatnagar, secretary general of BCIC and many other industrialists were present on the occasion.