Invest Kerala: No more cobweb of delays, Kerala CM tells investors

KOCHI: No investor will have to return from Kerala for the reason of non-availability of land, though land is a scarce resource in the state, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday.

“The government will take special initiatives to make required land available to them. We have a scheme of land pooling for making the same available for prospective investors,” he said, opening the two-day Invest Kerala Global Summit (IKGS2025) in Kochi.

The state government has also ensured that no investor will have to face the cobweb of procedural delays and meet the barriers of red tape, the CM said, adding: “We have made major strides in simplifying procedures as regards investments.”


A committee of experts set up by the state government to recommend legislative reforms has suggested decriminalisation of 38 provisions in various existing Acts as well as amendments to 12 Acts and 12 rules pertaining to 13 departments. Some of these recommendations have been implemented and others are under the active consideration of the state government, the CM said.

Vijayan said his government had been giving uninterrupted power supply by expediting the completion of power highways, holding out a big promise to investors. “Let me share with happiness and pride that Kerala is a state without power cuts,” he said.

STARTUP BOOM
Kerala has made major strides in the startup sector. In the last eight years, the state has witnessed establishment of 6,200 startups with an investment of Rs 5,800 crore, adding about 62,000 jobs, Vijayan said. “We aim to establish 15,000 startups and create 1 lakh employment opportunities by 2026. Kerala’s initiatives in the area have been acknowledged globally.”

The union government, Vijayan said, has approved the Kochi-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor and land acquisition for it is proceeding at a fast phase.

Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, addressing the event virtually, announced 31 new road projects worth Rs 50,000 crore for Kerala.

Kerala industries minister P Rajeeve said the state has morphed into a heaven for investors while retaining its reputation as God’s own country, explaining the initiatives the government has taken to facilitate ease of doing business.