Technology unlocking new opportunities, continuity of policies key to Kerala’s transformation: CM

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that Kerala is moving to a new era where technology is unlocking new opportunities in key emerging sectors. The State has also been empowering every citizen in the process of modernisation, he said.

Addressing the ‘Kerala future form: A dialogue with the Chief Minister’ on Sunday, the concluding day of Huddle Global 2025, a start-up festival organised by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) at Kovalam, he also emphasised the need for a continuance of policies and initiatives in sustaining the momentum of the ongoing transformation.

“This is Kerala’s moment. A moment to show India and the world that Kerala is not just participating in the future. We are helping to shape a Kerala where universities become innovation powerhouses, where global partnerships fuel local breakthroughs, where every young person feels that this is the best place to dream big, build boldly and scale new heights,” he said.

Recalling a series of milestone policy interventions and initiatives taken by the government in the past few years, the Chief Minister said Kerala is now a large metro city that is fully connected through optical fibre and providing high quality talent, and which together provides the most ideal destination for investment and innovation.

He also said the State is committed to sustaining the socio-economic progress by addressing the complexities in the labour market.

Skill education

Speaking on the occasion, General Education and Labour Minister V. Sivankutty said Kerala has made major strides in skill education over the years.

Pledging that collaborations entered into for strengthening skill education will be pursued pro-actively, the Minister added steps are under way to set up a Skill India International Centre in the State capital.

Saeed Al Falasi, Executive Director, Dubai Centre of AI, Dubai Future Foundation, said bringing about a change in the mindset is vitally important in embracing technology-driven social and economic progress. Dubai is a good example of how a change in mindset facilitated a big leap, he said.

S.D. Shibulal, co-founder, Infosys, and vice-chairman of the State government’s High Power IT Committee, said building AI-ready Kerala, choosing a set of domains like Spacetech for specialised development, and keeping the State clean and pollution-free are there critical areas the State needs to focus on in its transition.

Special Secretary (Electronics and IT) Seeram Sambasiva Rao, KSUM chief executive officer Anoop Ambika, and actor-entrepreneur Nivin Pauly also spoke on the occasion. Letters of Intent (LoIs) were exchanged between entities on the occasion to formalise collaborations that would impart scale and speed to the State’s start-up ecosystem.