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Kerala should become the world’s most fertile place for startups, considering the limited prospects of big companies in the State owing to its special socio-geographical features, Kerala’s Youth Affairs and Culture Minister Saji Cheriyan has said.
“Our State serves all the reasons and open startups and develop them on a priority basis. It is with this mind the Chief Minister has set a target of one lakh business initiatives in the next five years,” Cheriyan said after inaugurating an IEDC (innovation and entrepreneurship development centre) summit at Palai. “Kerala’s high-density population and peculiar geographical conditions do not entertain unlimited nourishment of big industrial houses.”
More than 4,000 students and young entrepreneurs from over 340 colleges are participating in the conference at the St Joseph’s Engineering College.
The Minister regretted that the educated youth in Kerala continued to chase ‘safe’ government jobs. “The government is incapable of giving government jobs to each one of you. It will be welcome if youngsters having completed professional courses do not aspire for employment in government offices or PSUs,” he noted.
Even as there is a boom in the number of startups in Kerala, young entrepreneurs should ensure that the businesses are for social good, Cheriyan pointed out. The new industrial climate ensures involvement in the trades of one’s choice unlike in olden times when caste decided profession, he added.
KSUM Chief Executive Officer John M Thomas said the role of startups was going to be critical for the country when India was set to become the world’s third biggest economic power in the next eight years. “India saw the emergence of 70-odd unicorn startups in the past two years. This should be inspiring for our young entrepreneurs,” he noted.
No less than 20 experts gave classes at IEDC summit, leading sessions and panel discussions on The Future of Women in the World of Technology, From Campus to the Market, Social Entrepreneurships, Design Thinking (workshop), Fundamentals of Industrial Robotics Arm and Virtual Reality Zone.
The summit announced grant worth Rs 50 lakh to 64 selected startups.
KSUM is a nodal agency of the Kerala Government for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the State.
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