Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 17 (KNN) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said the state’s capital will be developed into a major digital hub and a premier destination for startups.

Speaking at the startup conclave Huddle Global 2023, the chief minister said that Kerala already stands as a pioneer in India’s vibrant startup ecosystem that has been consistently ranked at the top for the last three years due to the state government’s pro-active initiatives.

“The state government’s proactive initiatives, including Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centres (IEDC) for colleges, Young Entrepreneurship Programme (YIP), incubation and acceleration programmes, and corporate innovation efforts have collectively helped Kerala’s startup ecosystem to flourish and grow,” he said.

Huddle Global 2023 is a three-day event organised by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM). During the event, KSUM exchanging Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Belgium and Australia to set up its Startup Infinity Centres in the two countries, opening up immense opportunities for enterprises from Kerala’s ecosystem to scale up operations and expand market.

During his address, the chief minister said that KSUM has secured the top position as a public business incubator in the UBI Global World Benchmark study in 2021-22, further cementing its pivotal role in transforming the state into a thriving startup hub.

“Taking forward the efforts to convert the state capital into a digital hub, work has already begun for establishing an “Emerging Technology Startup Hub” in the city,” Vijayan said.

Also, through initiatives like Startup Infinity, the state has created collaborative projects that bring together local entrepreneurs, business leaders, and Pravasi Malayalis as an inclusive approach that not only fosters innovation but also welcomes participation of global Malayali community in nurturing startups and entrepreneurship and innovation to thrive limitlessly, he added.

Presenting a report on the state’s startup ecosystem, Tinku Biswal, Principal Secretary, Revenue and Housing, Government of Kerala, noted the state now has close to 5,000 startups.

(KNN Bureau)