Invest Kerala Summit to begin Friday; state eyes big-ticket investments

According to sources, major investments are expected in sectors such as life sciences, food processing, and logistics. Interestingly, Kerala has so far organised only three investors' meets

Kerala hopes to land “credible and substantial investments” during the two-day Invest Kerala Global Summit beginning Friday as over 3,000 delegates, including those representing global corporate players, are expected to descend on the state’s port city Kochi.

 

Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal and Jayant Chaudhary are expected to address the opening session after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan opens the summit at Lulu International Convention Centre, Kochi.

 

According to sources, major investments are expected to come in sectors like life sciences, food processing and logistics.

 

“The government will see that the investment proposals made at IKGS are converted into actual projects and the progress of their implementation is put on the public domain,” said Minister for Industries, Law and Coir, P Rajeeve.

 

 

Kerala has so far organised only three investors’ meets, including the Global Investors Meet in 2003, Emerging Kerala in 2012, and Ascend Kerala in 2020.

 

“In terms of magnitude, this will be the largest. We will have quite a good number of substantial and credible investments coming. The key sectors for us include food processing, maritime, logistics, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, hi-tech manufacturing, waste management, tourism, wellness, artificial intelligence and robotics, and aerospace sectors,” said Mohammed Hanish APM, Principal Secretary, Industries, Government of Kerala.

 

Hanish said that the government is expecting substantial investor interest in Vizhinjam and Palghat Industrial Estate.

 

Over 3,000 delegates are attending the conclave, which will focus on various verticals such as artificial intelligence and robotics, aerospace and defence, logistics, maritime and packaging, medical devices and biotech, renewable energy, and high-value-added rubber products, among others.

 

The meet will proceed on a structured agenda shaped by insights from a series of domain-specific pre-summit conclaves, strategic sessions, and roadshows held in the last few months.

 

Besides seeking investments, the meet will deliberate on scaling up the sectors that have already gained traction for adding scale and speed to the state’s transformation into a knowledge economy that is home to sustainable, responsible, and inclusive industrial practices.

 

Along with business sessions and country-focused interactions, the summit also has before it scores of sessions to take the government’s New Industrial Policy forward, which has identified over 22 priority segments to be promoted in a proactive manner. The summit is organised by the Kerala government with the support of various industry organisations.