V K Mathews: Make Kerala clean, digitally enabled

(Excerpts from IBS Software founder and chairman V K Mathews’ interview on the Dhanam Titans Show)

My dad taught me that if you trust somebody, they will try to live that trust completely. So, I trust people. I trust people 100 percent. That is an attitude, to trust people. And, normally, 99 percent of the people will live that trust because they see that as your confidence in them. 

A perfectionist

I am a big admirer of Steve Jobs. Not because of the success he has built, but because of his approach to life. He was a perfectionist to the core. And he has such strong belief in it. An idea can be very ordinary. But he is committed to making his idea work and he will not accept it unless it is up to that mark. I have a l little bit of problem with perfectionism. I am a perfectionist. Unfortunately, I see imperfections first. 

On taking risks

And I do not think I had the guts Steve Jobs had, and I tried to balance, maybe because of my philosophy about life. Otherwise, I could have taken much bigger risks, which I did not. I did take risks, but I could have taken much bigger risks. I did not take the risks that some of them have taken. And that is the reason I would have loved to meet him. And I would love to meet the President of the United States, I am not saying the name of the person, I want to meet them because the consequence and the implication and the scope of what they do, and I would like to know what they think.

Making a difference

The world we have created is a product of our thinking. And if you want to change anything you must change your thinking. It is an absolute fact. But I do not think many of the people internalise that. The biggest example is Kerala. There is a big gap between our thoughts and our actions. Or, at least what we say outwardly. I am being self-critical, including myself we are very hypocritical. A proud Indian and a prouder Malayalee, but I would say we are very hypocritical too. We are not that courageous enough, that is it. Even politically we do not have the courage. We will only say what others want to hear. 

Why the youth migrate from Kerala 

There are some reasons why the youth migrate from Kerala. One is, unlike the olden days, people are more aware of the opportunities outside, thanks to social media and all they are aware of the opportunities. Secondly youngsters are little interested in the political discussions happening in the social media and other platforms. They find it useless. There is negativism in the debates on party lines. The youth keep away from that. 

Addressing unhealthy migration

In my view, the only way to address this unhealthy migration, is to have successful, well-paying enterprises in Kerala. We must change our mindset. We must have more profitable enterprises and well-paying enterprises. Meaningful tax will come through that. Taxing people who are working in non-profit making enterprises is an unhealthy taxation. And vice-versa also. A profitable enterprise not paying well is also an unhealthy practice. So, we want more profitable companies, and everybody must applaud and support profitable companies because they are the only ones contributing. If this is there, the youth will spend their time here. 

Making Kerala the best place to live and work

I suggested two targets for our state at an IT seminar. One, by 2030 each service given to a citizen must be digital so that you do not have to wait in any queue, you do not have to go to any office. Two, one-third of the best brains in Kerala should be employed here. They should work from here. If they do not, we must say we failed. We must follow that metric. We cannot place obstacles for people who are migrating because it is their future. It must be their decision that they can work here, they can find the opportunity. A reason for the youth going out is that they do not feel they have a future here. It makes one sad. It should not be like that. That is why I always say that the government’s main responsibility should be to make Kerala one of the finest places to work. It must be the best place to live and work. 

Focus areas

You must focus on three things. One, make Kerala clean, with good waste management, clean water to drink, clean streets and clean backwaters, a Kerala with a clean environment. Two, safe Kerala. Meaning, safe to travel on roads, safe to drink water, safe to eat food, safe from disasters. Every year, when it rains it is the same good old story, the government’s focus should be on that. And the third one, a digitally enabled Kerala, digital infrastructure, and digital readiness where an 80-year-old grandmother can see her grandchildren through digital devices. If we do this, we are enterprising enough and we will build the future.