IT leaders need to be ambassadors of Kerala’s growth story, says Pinarayi

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday urged leaders of IT companies to become ambassadors of changes happening in the State by sharing their experience of scripting success. He was interacting with leaders of IT companies in the State at a ‘Meeting with IT Companies,’ programme organised by Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) in association with the Department of Industries and Commerce (DI&C) in Thiruvananthapuram.

“As investors of Kerala, IT leaders need to share their experience with peers outside the State by highlighting changes that have happened in the State’s industrial landscape. This would help overcome the wrong perceptions about Kerala,” he said.

The Chief Minister also said the government would urgently intervene to improve connectivity including the development of airports. Mr. Vijayan informed the gathering that steps have already been taken for the development of Kozhikode airport and the government will try to ensure flights to Europe on all days.

 “Sabarimala airport is also going to be a reality. Besides efforts are on to establish airstrips in some parts of the State. Kochi Water Metro has drawn the attention of the nation and a waterway from Kovalam to Bekal is in the pipeline. The government is expecting to complete the Kovalam-Chettuva stretch of the waterway soon,” he said. Citing the remarkable growth made by Technopark, Vijayan said steps to set up IT parks in Kannur and Kollam have gathered momentum.

To a query, the Chief Minister said the government will do timely interventions in the artificial intelligence (AI) domain, which has already been included in the school syllabus.

The meet was convened as a run-up to ‘Invest Kerala Global Summit’ (IKGS 2025), scheduled in Kochi on February 21 to 22. Minister for Industries P. Rajeeve said several run-up events and five roadshows had been completed ahead of IKGS 2025. In all, 49 preparatory programmes have been planned. Mr. Rajeeve also said the government is planning to set up a Pink Park for women entrepreneurs in the State.

“A draft framework on Global Capability Centres (GCC) policy is getting ready. In the advent of AI, companies have the capability to transform themselves into Global Technology Centres (GTC) in the State,” he added.

A. P. M. Mohammed Hanish, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce, made a detailed presentation on Kerala’s strong MSME ecosystem and transformative programmes such as ‘Mission 1000’, providing insurance cover to units and building the Kerala Brand.

Dr. Rathan U. Kelkar, Secretary, Electronics and IT, moderated the interaction. Representatives and leaders of around 60 IT companies participated. The conclave was part of a series of events the government has been holding in the build-up to IKGS 2025. The events are meant to showcase and focus on 22 priority areas that the government has identified in its New Industrial Policy.