Driving Kerala’s industrial growth

Santhosh Koshy Thomas
MD, KINFRA

 

Thanks to the government’s initiatives, 31 industrial parks have been established across various sectors. To date, 90% of the land and 82% of the Standard Design Factory (SDF) buildings have been allocated to entrepreneurs, with the government facilitating these efforts. Through these initiatives, approximately 70,000 job opportunities have been created, and private investments worth nearly ₹5,000 crores have been attracted to Kerala. During this government’s tenure, KINFRA has allocated 322.6 acres of land and 6.9 lakh square feet of multi-story building space for 464 units. Through this, around 28,649 job opportunities have been created, and private investments amounting to 2907.26 crores have been brought to Kerala.

• Industrial Investments from Prominent Companies: During this period, prominent companies such as TCS, Tata Elxsi, V-Guard, Agappe Diagnostics, Hykon, Win-Wish Technologies, Trans Asian Shipping Company, Jolly Coats, D-Space, and Genrobotics were allotted space.

• KINFRA Spices Park: The first phase of development activities for the KINFRA Spices Park has been completed, and the park was inaugurated on October 14, 2023. 80% of the land has been allotted.

• Kochi-Bangalore Industrial Corridor: This industrial corridor, which is supported by the government, aims to boost industrialization in the region. The government, through KINFRA, is overseeing the project’s implementation. The construction of the first phase of the Puducherry Central – Palakkad node is set to begin in 2025- 26. This project will bring in ₹10,000 crores in investments and create approximately 22,000 direct and 80,000 indirect job opportunities. The government expects the corridor to generate ₹600 crores annually for Kerala’s treasury. NICDC has provided an equity of 104.50 crores in the first phase, and the state government has also provided 104.50 crores equivalent in land as equity for the SPV

• TCS Innovation Park: TCS Limited intends to set up an electronic manufacturing cluster with an investment of approximately 700 crores at Kakkanad, covering 36.84 acres. The campus will support electronic hardware and IT/ITES operations and employ about 10,000 people. The designated project will be named ‘TCS Innovation Park’.

• International Exhibition and Convention Center (IECC): A significant achievement in the state’s infrastructure development, the Exhibition Center at Kakkanad, Kochi, was completed and inaugurated on February 4, 2024. The construction of the Convention Center was completed and inaugurated on January 18, 2024.

• Graphene-Friendly Ecosystem Promotion: The Kerala government has developed a graphene policy to promote a graphene-friendly ecosystem. The Digital University Kerala is the implementing agency for setting up the Graphene Park Pilot Production Facility (GPPF). KINFRA has allocated 55,088 square feet of built-up area and 10 acres of land at the KINFRA Defense Park at Ottappalam. An agreement has been signed between KINFRA and the Digital University Kerala for this purpose.

• KINFRA Mattanur Industrial Park: Spread across 128 acres with essential infrastructure such as water, electricity, and drainage, the Mattanur Industrial Park saw the inauguration of a Standard Design Factory (SDF) building with an area of 48,686.18 square feet on October 1, 2024.

Awards and Recognitions

KINFRA’s Palakkad Integrated Industrial and Textile Park and Kalamassery Hi-Tech Park were recognized for environmental sustainability and infrastructure under the “Swachh Industry Park Awards” organized by FICCI, aimed at promoting cleanliness and waste management in industrial parks across India. Industrial parks with a minimum area of 100 acres and 50% of the land allotted, which are owned by state governments or Union Territories, were considered for the award.

Key Projects

Development of Industrial Parks: Aimed at attracting diverse industries and boosting economic activities in these sectors, approximately ₹500 crores worth of projects will be developed in various strategic locations.

The aforementioned projects are expected to create approximately ₹2,000 crores in investments and 7,500 job opportunities in Kerala.