Swedes visit Kerala to study IT growth plans

A five-member delegation from Sweden's Kumla city, led by Mayor Katarina Hansson, visited the Infopark here to study the investment opportunities and growth plans in Kerala's IT sector.

Infopark houses 110 IT companies that employ more than 18,000 professionals and is poised for greater heights with the much delayed Smart City Kochi IT campus finally getting the green signal.

Infopark CEO Hrishikesh Nair briefed the Swedish delegation Thursday on Kerala's IT initiatives in general and specifically on Infopark's role.

Hansson said the deleggation was here to conduct a feasibility study on projects that can be carried out between Kochi and Kumla and to look at various investment opportunities in Kochi.

"We are impressed by the infrastructure facilities available at Infopark for the growth of IT and the way the IT industry is transforming the society," said the mayor.

The delegation, which toured the Infopark and also interacted with CEOs of top IT companies, expressed interest in investment opportunities in the areas of drinking water, waste management, education, information technology and e-governance.

The visit is a follow up to the meeting last year between the Swedish International Council for Local Democracy and the Kochi corporation on mutually beneficial ventures.