Page 21 - Kerala

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

Kerala govt plans to develop state-owned AI engine for schools this year

After imparting training to school teachers about the use and the inclusion of the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) textbooks, the Kerala government is now planning to develop a state-owned AI engine for schools. State General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Saturday announced that an AI engine will be developed this year, under the leadership of Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE), within the academic framework, an official statement said. The minister was speaking after inaugurating the State Camp of Little KITEs at the International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS) campus here. The minister also announced the completion of the distribution of 29,000 Robotic Kits in schools, undertaken by KITE, the technology arm of the state General Education Department. The Open Hardware based Robotic Kits, which are deployed to schools by the KITE, comprises of Arduino Uno Rev3, LEDs, SG90

Centre doing everything to weaken Constitution, democracy: Priyanka Gandhi

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday claimed that the country was going through a period where the government at the Centre was doing everything "to weaken the Constitution and democracy in India". Priyanka, the Wayanad MP, was speaking at a booth level leaders meeting at Mananthavady assembly constituency here where she said that till date victims of the landslides that hit the high range district are facing housing troubles and have not received adequate compensation. The Congress leader said that the central government "atleast" declared the Wayanad landslides as "a disaster of severe nature due to our efforts in the Lok Sabha" and expressed hope that as a result more funds will be received for the rehabilitation of the victims. She also referred to the various instances of loss of lives due to wild animal attacks in the district and said that the human-animal conflict was also leading to loss of livelihoods. Priayanka said the last time she was here in .

Cong MP Priyanka Gandhi in Kerala for 3 day visit to meet local leadership

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrived in Kerala on Saturday morning on a three-day visit to the state, party sources said. Priyanka, the Wayanad MP, landed at Kannur airport around 10 am and was greeted by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran. She will travel to Wayanad by road from there, the sources said. The Congress MP will be holding meetings with the local party leadership in the high-range district of Wayanad during the day and there will be no public meetings, the sources added. According to her itinerary released by the party, she will hold meetings with booth level leaders in Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta assembly constituencies during the day. Towards evening she will visit the Lourde Matha Church at Pallikkunnu in Kalpetta, the sources said. On Sunday, she will hold meetings with booth level leaders in Eranad and Thiruvambadi assembly constituencies. On Monday, she will hold meetings with booth level leaders at W

Kerala to draw more tax from Rs 15 lakh+ EVs to charge up revenue

The lifetime road tax on EVs costing above Rs 15 lakh was raised to 8 per cent of the vehicle's price, from the current 5 per cent

Kerala MP raises concerns of Indians in GCC in RS, seeks inclusive policy

P Sandosh Kumar, CPI MP from Kerala, raised the challenges being faced by the Indians residing in six countries under the Gulf Cooperative Council and demanded a comprehensive policy on workers going abroad in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Raising the issues during the Question Hour, Kumar said that the GCC, which consists of six countries in the Middle East, has a very huge Indian population and there is an urgent need for a comprehensive and pragmatic policy for them as they are contributing immensely to strengthen the Indian economy. According to Kumar, Indians living in GCC countries are 93,72,076 as per the answer furnished by the government in the House in December last year and out of these, 27 per cent are from Kerala. Pointing out some major issues, he said that airfare hikes, especially during the season, have become a menace for the Parvaasi community. "This has become a source of exploitation for aviation companies. Our aviation ministry has become a mute spectator to this