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Scripting a new chapter in Kerala’s IT sector, Infopark in Kochi has embarked on its third phase of development by initiating an ambitious project that aims to create a world-class ‘Integrated AI Township’.
The project aims to attract global tech giants and global capability centres (GCCs) of leading companies. It is expected to attract an investment of around ₹25,000 crore and create around 200,000 direct jobs and double the number of indirect jobs.
Infopark and the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday in the state capital. The project, being implemented jointly by GCDA and Infopark, will impart a fresh momentum to Kerala’s development journey and transform the state into a knowledge economy, said Infopark chief executive officer Susanth Kurunthil.
Spread over more than 300 acres in the high-tech pocket of Ernakulam district, the project will be implemented through the land-pooling model, effectively addressing the difficulty in getting adequate land parcels for future-ready projects.
The MoU gives GCDA the responsibility of identifying suitable land for Infopark Phase-3 through land-pooling. Infopark will develop the infrastructure to turn the site into an integrated AI township to host high-tech companies and a sustainable residential area.
“Lower operational costs, employable youths with less ask, and comparatively cheaper real estate compared to other states are Kerala’s advantages as a GCC destination,” said Jeevan Varghese, Partner at Lexfins 360 Corporate Services LLP, a firm specialising in finance and legal compliance.
He further emphasised that the city’s growing infrastructure, first-class schools and hospitals, and high quality of life make it a compelling choice for companies seeking sustainable and scalable expansion.
Considering the rapid growth of Kochi and the limited space available in the existing Infopark campuses, the phase-3 project is conceived as not just an IT park, but a technology hub based on the global concept of an ‘Integrated AI Township’.
The township will serve as an ‘Urban City Brain’, being a centralised digital platform that will coordinate all city activities to anticipate and solve problems through real-time data analysis. The potential of AI will be leveraged in all sectors such as residential, commercial, retail, healthcare, education, and agriculture.
Along with Infopark Phase-3, land acquisition for Infopark Phase-4 is also in progress. The signing of the MoU will be followed by feasibility studies, stakeholder consultations, preliminary surveys, master-planning and preparation of detailed project report. While GCDA will lead the land-pooling process, the ownership of the project will remain with Infopark. After completing the land-pooling procedures, GCDA and Infopark will jointly submit a detailed report to the government in a year.
Infopark will take up the master planning of the space, attracting IT/ITeS companies, investments, marketing and the like. The cost of land-pooling and other related facilities will be paid by Infopark to GCDA. Land-pooling is a new approach by the government to make land available for development projects, bypassing the delays and legal hassles of traditional land acquisition process.
In this method, instead of acquiring land by the government, small parcels of land are pooled with the consent of landowners, and consolidated into a larger plot. This is then developed in a planned manner, with roads, IT parks and other public facilities.
The biggest attraction of this scheme is that the pooled land will be consolidated, developed with necessary infrastructure development, and a certain percentage of the land will be redistributed back to the owners with enhanced value, typically in the form of developed plots. Thus, the landowners retain ownership of a certain percentage of the developed land.
GCDA will identify the land, facilitate discussions with landowners, carry out the survey, oversee the reconstitution of the land into developed plots and redistribution to the original landowners. GCDA will strictly ensure that the steps are taken as per the Kerala Land Pooling Rules.
