Page 16 - Kerala

Shashi Tharoor flags 'leadership void' in Kerala Cong amid LDF praise row

Facing flak over his praise for LDF government, Shashi Tharoor rejected rumours about him switching parties ahead of 2026 Kerala Assembly polls

UAE eyes investment in tourism, healthcare sectors in Kerala: Minister

A 22-member delegation, led by UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, is in Kerala to attend the Invest Kerala Global Summit

Kerala CM assures all possible support to investors coming to state

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said that all possible support will be ensured to investors coming to the southern state. The CM gave the assurance during a round table meeting attended by 31 prominent investors of the country to discuss the prospects of the IT sector at the Invest Kerala Global Summit, according to a government statement. At the meeting, Vijayan said that the government attaches great importance to investments in the IT sector which does not require land and natural resources and was, therefore, suitable for a densely populated state like Kerala. The CM, in a post on social media platform X, referred to his meeting with the IT leaders and said that he was looking forward to "fruitful partnerships that drive growth and progress". "Interacted with IT leaders at the Invest Kerala Global Summit's Roundtable, reaffirming our commitment to making Kerala a top destination for technology investments. "With a skilled workforce, world-class IT parks, and

UAE-based Sharaf group announces Rs 5,000 cr investment in Kerala

In a move that will create more job opportunities in Kerala, UAE-based shipping and logistics giant Sharaf Group on Saturday announced an investment of Rs 5,000 crore in the state over the next five years. Sharaf Group Vice Chairman, His Excellency General Sharafuddin Sharaf, made the announcement at the Invest Kerala Global Summit here. He said that the shipping and logistics giant, which has been operating in India for the past 28 years and has a presence in more than seven major cities across the country, chose Kerala for investment due to the state government's initiatives to simplify the ease of doing business. Another factor, he said at a press conference during the summit, was the large pool of highly educated and capable human resources available in the state. Sharaf also said that not only in Kerala but in many other cities of India, the ease of doing business was simple, the company received a lot of support, and "things were getting done much faster." He said that the .

Priyanka Gandhi urges Kerala CM to release funds for human-wildlife victims

She further said that on recent visits, she met with the families of the victims and, also discussed the matter with local authorities

Adani lines up Rs 30K cr investment in Kerala for port, airport expansion

Gadkari assures Rs 3 trillion worth of road projects in state during current tenure of central government

Brigade Group to invest Rs 1,500 cr in Kerala to grow real estate biz

Real estate company Brigade Group on Friday said it will invest Rs 1,500 crore in Kerala as part of its expansion plan. The investment will help create employment opportunities for around 12,000 people over the next five years. Brigade Enterprises Ltd, the flagship company of Brigade Group, has submitted an Expression of Interest (EOI) at the Invest Kerala Global Summit 2025, the company said in a statement. The group proposes to set up its second World Trade Center (WTC) in the state with the first being WTC Kochi. In addition, Brigade is looking to expand its footprint in Kerala with a residential project in Kochi and a luxury island resort at Vaikom. These projects are expected to be completed by 2030. The Kerala government will provide the necessary support and regulatory facilitation subject to applicable laws. Established in 1986, Brigade Group is one of India's leading property developers. It has developed many projects across South India in the cities of Bengaluru, Mysur

Adani Group plans to invest Rs 30,000 cr in Kerala in next 5 years

Adani Group will invest Rs 30,000 crore in Kerala in the next five years, a top executive said on Friday. The diversified group that is developing the Vizhinjam port and operating the airport at Thiruvananthapuram, will be developing a logistics and e-commerce hub as well as expanding its cement manufacturing capacity in the state. The group is developing the Vizhinjam port and has already invested Rs 5,000 crore. "We are committing an additional investment of Rs 20,000 crore," Adani Ports & SEZ Ltd Managing Director Karan Adani said at the Invest Kerala Global Summit here. He said the group will be expanding the capacity of the Thiruvananthapuram airport from 4.5 million passengers per annum, to 12 million passengers per annum with an investment of Rs 5,500 crore. Also, a logistics and e-commerce hub will be set up in Kochi and the cement manufacturing capacity will be increased in Kochi, he added. In total, Adani said the group will invest Rs 30,000 crore in the next five years

Major changes underway to make Kerala a investment hub: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Highlighting the growth potential in the state, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said changes happening in the state are substantial and efforts are on to ensure an investor-friendly architecture. Inaugurating the Invest Kerala Global Summit (IKGS) here, he said every nerve will be strained and no stone will be left unturned to make the state an investment destination. "We take criticisms in our stride and try to understand what remains to be done in our march forward in making Kerala an investment destination," he emphasised. Vijayan is heading the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for the second straight term. "Major strides have been made in simplifying the procedures," the chief minister said and stressed that the changes are not incremental but are substantial. The government considers itself as a facilitator and catalyst for investments, the chief minister said and added that serious steps are also being taken to transform the higher education sector. A

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

UGC draft regulations aimed at sidelining states from higher ed: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the draft UGC regulations of 2025 not only diminish the role of state governments in higher education, but in reality sideline them. The CM said that under the draft regulations, the states have no role in appointment of vice chancellors (VCs) and assistant professors in state-established universities and termed them as "undemocratic and excessive". He was speaking after inaugurating a National Convention here on the draft University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations of 2025 which was attended by ministers from the neighbouring states of Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. He said that powers for appointing VCs have been given to Chancellors, who are the Governors appointed by the Centre, and therefore there was scope for politically motivated selections which would be harmful for the higher education sector in the country. He claimed that "gubernatorial excesses" were experienced by many opposition-ruled states, ...

Kerala to launch 1st project on collection, disposal of expired medicines

The project titled ' nPROUD' (New Programme for Removal of Unused Drugs) will be inaugurated by Health Minister Veena George on February 22

Kerala to request extension for Rs 529.50 cr loan for Wayanad rehab

Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Tuesday said the state government would approach the Centre to request an extension for utilising its conditional loan of Rs 529.50 crore allocated for Wayanad rehabilitation. The state government had already termed the union government's stipulation to utilise the amount by March 31, as a "huge practical problem." Addressing reporters here, the FM said the Centre's directive to spend the loan amount within one and half months has triggered widespread criticism. It is normal to seek an extension of time in such a circumstance. Balagopal further said the state government is making all efforts to speed up necessary procedures and a high level meeting has already been convened in this regard. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is also making direct interventions to augment things, he said. "We are making efforts to complete requisite things on one side. We will also try to get an extension of time (to utilise the loan amount) on the other ...

Kerala govt allocates additional Rs 300 cr for integrated healthcare scheme

The Kerala government has allocated an additional Rs 300 crore for Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASAP), its integrated health protection scheme designed to provide coverage to over 64 lakh poor and vulnerable people in the state. With this additional allocation, the total amount earmarked for the flagship scheme in the present financial year has gone up to Rs 978.54 crore, state Finance Minister K N Balagopal said in a statement on Sunday. According to government sources, KASAP aims at providing a health cover of Rs 5 lakh annually to over 41.99 lakh poor and vulnerable families (approximately 64 lakh beneficiaries) that form the bottom 40 per cent of the Kerala population. A total of Rs 700 crore has already been earmarked for the scheme in the state budget for the next financial year, he noted. The minister said that deserving families are provided with free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh per year, benefiting a total of 41.99 lakh poor and vulnerable individuals. Currently, the

Rekhachithram OTT release: When and where to watch this crime thriller?

A Malayalam mystery crime thriller, Rekhachithram is set to debut on OTT platform soon. Under the direction of Jofin T Chacko, Rekhachithram has become the top-grossing Malayalam film of 2025

Legalising land leasing across states continues to face multiple hurdles

While the Economic Survey last month hailed a Kerala model of land leasing, there exist multiple blocks to a comprehensive policy, in part due to differing state laws

Private university bill necessary in accordance with times: Kerala edu min

Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu on Tuesday defended the cabinet decision approving a draft bill for the establishment and management of private universities in the state, saying that it was a necessary move in accordance with the changing times. Bindu, speaking to reporters here, said that it was a decision which the state could no longer avoid and that it was necessary for the progress and improvement of higher education in Kerala. She said that the cabinet also approved a bill for bringing changes to the functioning of state-run universities. The minister said that the new bills will bring changes which would benefit students from the state and help them keep up with the increasing competitiveness in higher education. She also said that there was nothing to be concerned about the coming of private universities as only 20 per cent of the higher education institutions in the state were government-run and the rest were all aided or unaided. Bindu also said that there would

We ensured Centre sends relief funds: Priyanka Gandhi on Wayanad landslide

Highlighting other challenges faced by the people, she pointed out the lack of access to health and education services for Adivasi communities

Who is Ananthu Krishnan, the man behind multi-crore fraud in Kerala?

Ernakulam Rural Police arrested 26-year-old Ananthu Krishnan, who allegedly orchestrated a fraud involving promises of laptops & scooters at half price, leading to a loss of about 500-600 crore

Kerala CSR scam: Former judge CN Ramachandran Nair named in cheating case

Former Kerala High Court judge CN Ramachandran Nair has been named in CSR fund scam (half price scam) FIR; accused of patronising a fraudulent NGO