Chief Minister V.D.Satheesan, ministers Ramesh Chennithala, P.K.Kunhalikutty and Debashis Chatterjee, Director, IIMK at the concluding session of Reimagining Keralam retreat.
The two-day residential strategic leadership retreat, ‘Reimagining Keralam’, organised by the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM-K) for the 21-member Council of Ministers, concluded with participants taking part in team-building exercises and experiential learning sessions.IIM-K Director Debashis Chatterjee said the enthusiasm and inquisitiveness shown by the Cabinet, along with its ability to connect ideas with policy and performance, made the engagement particularly meaningful.“Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and the entire Cabinet participated with remarkable enthusiasm, responding positively and creatively to the questions and challenges discussed. From the blue and silver economies, Gen Z and migration to higher education, health, wellness, palliative care and Kerala’s global positioning, the discussions remained firmly focused on translating ideas into policy and performance,” he said.The sessions explored ways to position the State as a destination that young people actively choose for education, careers and their future. Discussions went beyond the issue of vacant seats in higher education institutions to examine student preferences, academic quality, career pathways, industry and research exposure, and strategies to encourage young people to stay and return to the State or move to it.The State’s emerging ‘silver economy’ was examined through ‘The Care Ledger’, a management game that highlighted the challenges of building an equitable and sustainable eldercare system while protecting vulnerable sections and supporting family caregivers.A session titled ‘Prosperity with a Purpose’ focused on a growth strategy for ‘Puthuyuga Keralam’. It identified sectors where the State could leverage its distinctive strengths, including education, plantations and agroforestry, health and wellness, and ecotourism, while ensuring environmentally and socially responsible growth.Discussions on employment and entrepreneurship highlighted Keralam’s paradox of exporting talent while importing labour. The sessions called for tailored interventions for different categories of potential job creators, including graduates, returning technocrats, farmers and rural entrepreneurs.The faculty also stressed the need to strengthen ecosystems for capital, mentoring and market access to build a sustainable culture of entrepreneurship in the State.Ministers also appreciated sessions covering disaster management, health and wellness, citizen behaviour and policy, eldercare, entrepreneurship, higher education and international examples of good governance.Published on September 6, 2026
