Remittances to Representation: Loka Kerala Sabha

Many raised eyebrows when Loka Kerala Sabha convened its first conference in 2018. When LKS completes its fifth edition the changes it brings forth in the society and to NRKs are many. The authors analyses the schemes, policies and investments the LKS initiated successfully.

What the Loka Kerala Sabha has contributed to Kerala society and the global Malayali Diaspora is a timely reflection as the fifth edition of the Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS) is about to convene. According to the ninth round of Kerala Migration Survey 2023, Non-Resident Keralites, both emigrants and return emigrants are estimated to be four million. They create the lifeline of Kerala with remittances that contribute almost one-fourth (23.2%) of the Net State Domestic Product (NSDP). The Kerala Migration Surveys conducted over the last 25 years since 1998.
This implies that it is imperative to have voices of the Non-Resident Keralites heard and included in policy formulation and governance. Since most emigrants from Kerala are unable to participate in elections, it is essential to have a platform that ensures the democratic participation of Non-Resident Keralites. The Loka Kerala Sabha bridges this gap by providing a forum through which the Malayali Diaspora can address their issues, propose their ideas and solutions, and effectively contribute to the state’s developmental path.
In a rebuttal to the critics of Loka Kerala Sabha, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan points out that ‘LKS is not a decorative forum but a practical forum’ and it has been put into practice with the establishment of LKS Secretariat and seven standing committees which focuses on issues ranging from rehabilitation of emigrants to infrastructure investment. To ensure the implementation of LKS recommendations, the government has set up nodal officers at the deputy secretary level in various government departments. LKS, which consists of 351 members, comprising of all MLAs, MPs from Kerala, and the nominated representatives of NRKs living in both abroad and India has significantly expanded from representatives from 36 countries in its first session in 2018 to representatives from 125 countries in the fifth session; this highlights its significance among NRKs as a space for democratic participation.

Brain Drain to Brain Gain

Moving beyond the monetary remittances, Malayali diaspora is also instrumental in the flow of social remittances i.e., the ideas, behaviours, identities, and social capital from receiving to sending country communities and LKS plays a pivotal role to utilise the potential of Malayali expatriates and their expertise in various domains. While the state has relied immensely on NRKs remittances, the diaspora’s vast expertise of knowledge, skills and experiences remained untapped. LKS helps to turn ‘brain drain’ into ‘brain gain,’ by actively seeking the services of NRK scientists and academicians. In this light, the Norka Professional and Business Leadership Meet was organised in 2025 by the Loka Kerala Sabha Secretariat with an aim to promote collaboration between global leaders from theNRK community and Kerala’s public policy makers by collaborating with government departments to shape the public infrastructure development in Kerala based on their expertise abroad and NRKs acting as brand ambassadors to present Kerala’s advancements at an international level.

Deliberation to Development

Loka Kerala Sabha over the years have produced tangible outcomes. These are some of the major suggestions implemented from LKS.

• Infrastructure Development: Overseas Keralites Investment and Holding Ltd (OKIHL) was set up to channelise the huge but idle money of NRK deposits to sectors contributing to infrastructure development.

• Global Entrepreneurship: Startup Infinity was launched to empower startups and enterprises by facilitating cross-border expansion, industry collaborations, and investor engagement by involving Malayali Diaspora to invest in Kerala based startups. It has set up centres in Dubai, Belgium and has signed an MOU with Australia.

• Digital Connectivity: Loka Keralam Online platform was set up as a recommendation from LKS; it provides tools and resources that support education, career development, and cultural enrichment. Loka Keralam Online strives to unite and support Malayalis around the world. It enriches their lives by strengthening their connections to Kerala, promoting a sense of belonging, and ensuring the continuity of their cultural legacy. Government also launched the pravasimitram portal by Revenue Department to receive revenue related complaints from expatriates.

• Evidence Based Policy: The LKS has funded the Kerala Migration Survey 2023 as per the recommendation by its committee through Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation and International Institute of Migration and Development. This was released by the Kerala CM in the earlier rounds of LKS.

Crisis Management

LKS has proven its mettle during the crisis situations and acted as a safety net for expatriates. During the COVID-19 pandemic LKS members facilitated the repatriation of expatriates and set up help desks across14 countries. LKS was also instrumental in coordinating the supply of oxygen tanks, pulse oximeters and ventilators to Kerala from various countries. The government also started a Virtual Pravasi Employment Exchange in coordination with the Labour Department to rehabilitate expatriates who returned to Kerala after losing their jobs during COVID-19 and set up the Dream Kerala Project to tap the potential and experience of overseas professionals returning from abroad and other states after losing their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The LKS network was instrumental during the 2024 UAE General Amnesty where they helped undocumented Malayali expatriates secure emergency certificates and short validity passports.

Way Ahead

Loka Kerala Sabha has evolved from an ambitious project to become the blueprint for diaspora governance in India and it has been taken up as a model by the Ministry of External Affairs to create a forum for Indian Diaspora to engage with their respective states. This exemplifies the shift in how state government views emigrants, from passive remittance senders to active stakeholders in the policy making and governance. LKS today is the pioneer model for sub-national diplomacy by engaging NRKs in state’s development. LKS over these years was well and truly successful in building a platform to facilitate the cultural, socio-political and economic integration of NRKs and promises a bright and transformative future for the active engagement of global Malayali Diaspora in state’s policy making and governance.
The authors are: 1. The Chair at the International Institute of Migration and Development, Kerala 2. Research Scholar at Centre for West Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.