Kerala’s IT exports are fast approaching the ₹1 lakh-crore mark, while the number of start-ups has registered a 21-fold increase in the last nine years, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was delivering the inaugural address at the two-day Kerala Urban Conclave that got under way at Grand Hyatt Convention Centre in Kochi on Friday (September 12, 2025).
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Mr. Vijayan said the Kerala government’s ‘One Lakh Enterprises in a Year’ scheme turned out to be a resounding success, resulting in around 3.75 lakh enterprises and investments worth ₹23,000 crore. The Central government has hailed the programme as a “best practice.”
Mr. Vijayan said interventions are being made from the campus level with the aim of creating a skilled workforce. While there are programmes such as Connect Career to Campus and Young Innovators Programme on one side, various government agencies are running skill development projects imparting training to people irrespective of their age. Efforts are under way to create a special platform under the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council to provide employment to 20 lakh educated youth.
