Kerala Making Rapid Strides in Tech-Driven Development: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Asserting that Kerala’s moment has come to make it big in key emerging sectors, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today said the state is moving into a new era where technology is unlocking new opportunities while empowering every citizen.

Addressing the “Kerala future forum: A Dialogue with the Chief Minister” on the concluding day of India’s largest startup festival Huddle Global at Kovalam here, Vijayan said “ Today Kerala stands at the brink of a once-in-a generation leap that will define how our young people learn, innovate and build the future”

“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”, The Chief Minister said at the annual flagship event organised by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM).

Holding that continuance of policies and initiatives is of paramount importance in sustaining the momentum of this shift, he said “across the state you can feel the pulse of this transformation”

Tracing the state’s eventful journey that saw profound transformation of key sectors, the Chief Minister said “at the heart of this transformation is a new culture of openness and collaboration”

Recalling a series of path-breaking policy interventions and initiatives taken by the government in the last few years, he said Kerala is now a large metro city, fully connected through optical fibre and providing high quality talent, 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.

On the occasion, a set of Letters of Intent (LoIs) were exchanged, imparting scale and speed to the state’s startup ecosystem.

Addressing the event, Minister for General Education and Labour V Sivankutty noted Kerala has made major strides in skill education over the years.

Holding that collaborations entered into for strengthening the skill education will be pursued pro-actively, he said steps are on 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 High Power IT Committee, govt of Kerala, 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 in its transition.

Seeram Sambasiva Rao, Special Secretary Electronics and IT, Govt of Kerala, said this edition of Huddle Global was a resounding success considering participation, engagement and fostering partnership.

Actor and entrepreneur Nivin Pauly, who launched the AVGC startup CRAV, said producing high quality animation films to tap global market was at the heart of his enterprise.

Anoop Ambika, CEO KSUM, said Kerala has been witnessing a cultural shift in the last 10 years that enabled the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem to grow exponentially. The Government’s policies and initiatives have been a key factor in pivoting this transformation, he added.

Shanavas, Secretary, Labour and Skills, was also present.

Now into its seventh edition, Huddle Global 2025 was packed with exciting conversations, networking, striking partnerships, besides showcasing the strength of Kerala’s startup ecosystem.