Four projects that attracted investor interest during the Invest Kerala Global Summit (IKGS) held in Kochi in February have officially commenced in April. Together, these projects carry a total investment outlay of ₹1,211 crore and are expected to create around 3,050 jobs.
Foundation stone-laying ceremonies are scheduled within May for another eight projects worth ₹2,675 crore. If all goes as planned, these eight ventures could generate around 8,800 jobs. Further down the line, five more projects—collectively valued at over ₹1,000 crore—are likely to begin in June, possibly adding another 2,400 jobs to the state’s employment numbers.
Industries Minister P. Rajeeve, addressing a press conference on May 21, said the progress in turning EOIs into active projects indicates growing investor confidence in Kerala’s approach. He highlighted a blend of digital transparency, decentralised execution, and policy-level reforms as factors reshaping how investments take root in the state.
A portal—industrialland.kerala.gov.in—has also been rolled out to list land parcels available for industrial use. According to the Minister, the platform functions almost like a matchmaking site, connecting landholders with potential industrial developers
Another digital platform developed by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation is designed to keep tabs on project statuses. It offers monthly progress updates, proposal tracking, and an image dashboard—all accessible to departments and investors alike.
To date, about 450 expressions of interest were received during IKGS. Out of these, over 370 project-level meetings have taken place, and details, including status reports and visuals, are being regularly uploaded to the IKGS portal.
One of the high-profile projects from the IKGS—Genome Valley, to be set up at the Life Sciences Park in Thiruvananthapuram with an estimated cost of ₹3,800 crore—is expected to break ground soon. Meanwhile, the Unity Mall in the same city is slated for inauguration in November.
A dedicated advisory group chaired by the industries minister is now overseeing project implementation and inter-departmental coordination to help fast-track these investments.
A policy reform meeting chaired by the Chief Minister is scheduled for June. This session will reportedly tackle lingering bottlenecks in the system—both procedural and policy-related—to improve the ease of doing business in the state.
While it’s still early to draw conclusions about the long-term impact, the recent activity suggests Kerala is attempting to convert its investor promises into tangible projects—bit by bit.