Curtains go up on two-day ‘Huddle Global’ conclave

State’s tourism industry and the startup ecosystem to be connected, says Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday invited startups from across the globe to set up shop in Kerala and become part of the southern State’s quest to emerge as a leading startup destination and a knowledge economy.

Startups can innovate successfully from Kerala, the Chief Minister said, inaugurating the two-day tech conclave, ‘Huddle Global,’ organised by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) at Kovalam. ‘‘Anyone with an innovative idea can come to Kerala and work in the beautiful destinations in the State. We will help you and you will help Kerala emerge as one of the top startup destinations in the world,’‘ he said.

The government plans to connect the State’s startup ecosystem and its tourism industry. This, he said, would create a ‘startup workforce’ across tourism destinations in Kerala. The link would be realised through the K-FON project which connects every nook and corner of the State with the global information highway, the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Vijayan reiterated the State’s intention to establish 15,000 additional startups, creating two lakh more jobs during the current government’s tenure. An ‘Emerging Technology Startup Hub’ will be set up in Thiruvananthapuram, he added.

Kerala offers ample opportunities for establishing startups in areas like information technology, pharmaceuticals, virtualization technology and food processing services. Government initiatives such as through Innovation Entrepreneurship Development Centres (IEDC) and Youth Innovation Programme (YIP) have made Kerala the best location in the country for startups, he said.

Mr. Vijayan expressed the hopes that the Huddle Global conclave will attract global audiences, introducing them to the State’s vibrant startup ecosystem, opening up business, investments and partnership opportunities.