IT Export of Kerala Set to Touch Rs one lakh cr, says CM

KOTTARAKKARA:
Noting that Kerala is progressing rapidly in the IT sector, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today said the state’s IT export is set to register the Rs one lakh crore mark soon, thanks to the conducive ecosystem and infrastructure created by the state government.

“More investments are coming to the IT sector as the state offers good connectivity, talent pool and state-of-the-art facilities. The presence of Vizhinjam Port also plays a major role,” Vijayan said.

The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating the new Research and Development (R&D) Centre set up by leading SaaS (Software as a Service) provider Zoho Corporation at Neduvathoor here.

Finance Minister KN Balagopal presided over the function where Kodikunnil Suresh, MP, was the Chief Guest.

Vijayan said that around 66,000 new job opportunities have been created in the IT sector. “The government has transformed Kerala into a startup-friendly state. Under Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), funds and guidance have been provided to startups to transform innovative ideas into products,” he said.

The Chief Minister stated that there are currently around 6,400 startups in the state, and approximately Rs 6,000 crore in investments have come to the state through these startups.

Vijayan informed that initially, Zoho will be recruiting 250 young professionals to impart training in cutting-edge domains.

In his address, Balagopal said Kerala has immense possibilities in the knowledge-based industry.

“This initiative is a first step, and such a model in Kottarakkara can be replicated across the state. Companies like Zoho are aiming to train talented rural youth in cutting-edge technologies and create more job opportunities,” he said.

Seeram Sambasiva Rao, Secretary, E&IT Department, Government of Kerala, said that Zoho is sending a strong message to the investor community through its initiative to leverage the potential of rural youth.

KSUM CEO Anoop said that Zoho’s decentralised development model in Kottarakkara is expected to create jobs, attract ancillary industries, facilitate knowledge transfer, and retain talent within rural Kerala.

On the occasion, Zoho Corporation’s strategic acquisition of KSUM startup Asimov Robotics, based in Kochi, was announced. Asimov Robotics is a pioneer in humanoid and service robotics. Known for developing indigenous robotic solutions for healthcare, education, and manufacturing sectors, the acquisition of Asimov will significantly boost Zoho’s robotics and automation capabilities.

Besides, the deep-tech startups that have been roped in for R&D partnership with Zoho– Boson Motors, Zentron Labs, vTitan Corporation, Vipus Advanced Materials, Verdant Telemetry & Antenna Systems, Genrobotic Innovations, Energy 24by7 and Netrasemi—were felicitated at the function.

KSUM signed an MoU with Zoho Corporation for setting up a deep-tech studio at the R&D Centre.

Founders of Zoho Corporation, Sridhar Vembu, Tony Thomas, Shailesh Kumar Davey, CEO, Zoho Corporation; Dr S Somanath, Former Chairman, ISRO, and Dr Jayaraj Poroor, Principal Researcher, Zoho Corporation, were also present. The new R&D campus is located within the 3.5-acre IT Park established by Zoho Corporation.

Last year, Zoho, in association with KSUM and the Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD), launched an R&D facility at the LEAP Centre, located at the Government Engineering College, Kottarakkara, to support the entrepreneurial aspirations of rural youth.

The Campus Industrial Park, also known as Zoho R&D Labs, aims to nurture rural talent by offering opportunities for R&D activities and entrepreneurship in the MSME sector.

To begin with, Zoho Corporation recruited around 40 freshers from rural areas to receive R&D training in cutting-edge domains, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, robotics, and deep core engineering fields, at the Park, which also houses the KSUM LEAP (Launch, Empower, Accelerate, and Prosper) Centre.

KSUM, established in 2006 under the Kerala government, focuses on entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.