Kerala to be India’s Productive Power House: Industries Principal Secretary

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
As India is set to emerge as a superpower, Kerala is working on a calibrated strategy to be the country’s productive powerhouse by blending its core strengths with cutting-edge technologies that define the future, says APM Mohammed Hanish, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Government of Kerala.

“India should become a superpower in the world and Kerala has to be a vibrant part of it. For that, new streams of action and new concepts have to be brought to fruition. This is at the core of the Industrial Policy of the government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,” Hanish said.

Kerala is well known as a holiday destination. Now it is time to build on that to make the state a happening place offering perfect work-life balance. This can be achieved by blending traditional industries with futuristic sectors ranging from space to graphene to AI to strike a perfect balance between modernity and tradition, he said.

“This will happen only when action speaks louder than words. That is the challenge before the state,” Hanish said.

Along with long-term projects, the state is also putting focus on medium-term ones so that the fruits of the labour that is done now is realised before 2026, when the term of the current government ends, he said.

It takes sustained efforts to make a mark in high-tech areas, but Kerala has shown that it is possible. This is evident from Kerala’s links to the space sector, whether it is ISRO’s inter-planetary missions or earth observation missions, he said. Around 25 Kerala firms were involved in the Chandrayaan missions, which was hailed universally, as India became the first country to land a spacecraft near the south pole of the moon.

The ecosystem that Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) helped build has been acclaimed across the world. Similarly, micro, small and medium industries have also flourished.

Kerala’s New Industrial Policy, released in 2023, identifies 22 core sectors that include AI & Robotics, tourism & hospitality, Ayurveda, Biotech and life sciences, maritime and logistics. With this, traditional economic engines that played crucial roles are now morphing into new sunrise industries as the market for sustainable products increases, he said.

A lot of opportunities lie ahead for Kerala as its traditional sectors like coir, rubber, and coffee see a resurgence in the global market. For instance, Wayanad’s robusta coffee beans received accolades at the World of Coffee Conference in Copenhagen recently. With the global market shifting from arabica beans to alternatives, Kerala’s robusta has great potential to increase its market share.

The government is now planning a carbon neutral Coffee Park as a hub for coffee promotion, harnessing local support. This will benefit the coffee farmers greatly as they will be able to command better prices for their produce.

Similar efforts are underway to help the rubber sector by looking beyond its traditional markets with the enhancement of quality through better research and development, besides utilization of rubber and rubber products in new sectors that range from pharma to space.

Kerala Rubber Limited, being set up at Velloor in Kottayam district, will act as a fulcrum for thousands of small and medium rubber-based industries. The centre will have common R&D facilities, and standardisation centres, available for everyone in the industry.

The plantation sector has long been considered a labour-intensive one, and the industrial potential under-utilised. Now, with the help of IIM Kozhikode, a blueprint has been drawn up for the rejuvenation of the sector.

A new plantation policy is on the anvil. With this, plans are afoot to make critical changes in land-related laws in the sector. It will also look to enhance revenue through eco-tourism that complements the ecological value of the plantations.

In the cashew sector, roasting and value addition can be done anywhere, but some of the techniques developed in its traditional home, Kollam (Quilon) like drum roasting, continue to be unique. Value additions like honey-coated nuts and cookies have to be developed.

The coir sector is experiencing a resurgence as the demand for sustainable goods rises in the world. “It is fascinating to know that players from this sector are forging ties with big names in the consumer sector, like Walmart, and exporting coir from Kerala to many nations in the western hemisphere. Some European countries also have joined the list of our export destinations,” Hanish said.

Handicrafts is an area where creativity still remains supreme, says Hanish. Machinery cannot substitute human hands. At the same time, appropriate technology is to be made available to the artisan to enhance his productivity.

Another area where Kerala is looking to play on its strengths is health, pushing to establish the state as a pioneer in health technology, including manufacture of medical equipments.

Kerala is now seeing positive growth in the logistics sector too. With Vizhinjam seaport fast coming up, and the Vallarpadam Container Terminal already functional, complemented by minor ports as well as its five airports, the state now has an ideal ecosystem in place for logistics companies to flourish.

“The sooner new concepts hit the ground and start to grow, the better. The sooner they create jobs, the better. The sooner the change in perception about the state happens, the better,” said Hanish.