‘Kerala Looks Ahead’ Conference: CM to Present Vision Statement on IT Sector

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Kerala’s impressive strides in the IT sector to galvanise its economy and the need to give an impetus to infusion of new-age technologies for tackling the post-pandemic challenges will be an engrossing, brainstorming theme at an upcoming global conference here.

Underscoring the immense possibilities of the IT sector as a driver for accelerating the growth trajectory of the state, Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan will himself present the Vision Statement on this vital theme at the February 1-3 ‘Kerala Looks Ahead’ global conference and consultation, which aims at enhancing and modernizing nine key sectors by seeking advice from international experts amid a changed world order.

The IT session, to be attended by policymakers, leaders of IT/ITES industry, and startups, will identify the winners and losers post the recent recession and the pandemic; look for global digital transformation hubs for conventional sectors and new work patterns; R&D; electronic component manufacturing supply chain; and Fab City.

It will also deliberate on Kerala and Industrial Revolution 4.0, which is evident from new trends in robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) that are crucial for the future of IT.

S D Shibulal, Co-founder Infosys; Dr Saji Gopinath, Vice Chancellor, Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology; Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM; and Prof Prahlad Vadekkapat, National University of Singapore, are among the speakers who will be sharing their experiences and insights on the IT sector that is fast shaping up as the backbone of digitalized global economies.

“In order to sustain and accelerate the growth momentum of Kerala’s IT sector, it is important to identify new growth areas for the IT industry and emphasise its strengths that would promote the state as an attractive IT destination,” said Dr. V K Ramachandran, Vice Chairperson, Planning Board.

Dr Venu V, Member Secretary, Planning Board, said the pandemic has had an unequal impact on different sectors of the IT industry and understanding its impact will help the state to focus its efforts in attracting new and viable investments in the sector.

Kerala has invested in high-quality infrastructure in centralised locations for the IT sector. However, the new normal work-from-home culture has changed the perceptions about future investment in such central locations. The conclave will deliberate on investing in new options such as work-near-home, decentralized work spaces, and the use of Kerala’s tourism potential for developing the state as a “workation” (work+vacation) destination.

Further, Kerala will be required to stay competitive as several sectors of industry and business are undergoing digital transformation. Automobile, healthcare, hospitality and tourism are some of the early adopters of digital transformation. The conclave will strive to identify the other sectors that can attract leading enterprises to set up their digital transformation knowledge centres in Kerala.

The conference will also tap into Kerala’s potential to create a Fab-City through PPP that would help the state to leapfrog into the hardware sector, especially for creating large-scale electronic chips, sensors and microprocessors.

On the session on e-governance, the focus will be on citizen access to services through cost-effective technological solutions; informed government decision support systems; administration of technology systems; citizen participation and empowerment; and policy environment & regulations.

Further, the increasing issues of data privacy and cyber security, which have implications for the administrative structure of e-governance, will also be discussed.