Kochi: The state should enlist Keralites holding top posts in various multinational corporations to attract investments, Nissan corporation vice president and chief information officer in charge of IT Tony Thomas has said. Instead of waiting for MNCs to arrive here with investments, we should campaign for the state among the global companies. The other states in India are doing exactly the same, Thomas added.
Kerala has witnessed major advancements like the setting up of IT parks and basic infrastructure. However, much remains to be done, said Pala Mutholy Parinthikkal Antony Thomas; Tony Thomas for short, an alumnus of college of engineering, Thiruvananthapuram (CET) to Onmanorama.
What are your suggestions for attracting multinational IT firms to Kerala?
Most of the firms in Kerala’s IT parks are India-based companies like Infosys and Wipro as well as UST Global and IBS which were set up in Kerala. The only major MNCs are Oracle and EY. Now Nissan is coming. But firms like Google and Apple have not made any plans regarding Kerala. In fact, Kerala does not appear even as a small dot on their radar. Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode do not come into the picture as far as consultancy firms like BCG are concerned. We should approach these consultancies and campaign for the state. It is such consultancies who influence the investment decisions of many MNCs.
States like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana market themselves and have been successful in this regard. Similarly, Kerala should highlight the success stories of CEOs who set up major IT firms in the state and give confidence to MNCs to invest here. It is not a houseboat or Kathakali performance that we should highlight to attract the MNCs.
Are investments in IT possible through tourism?
Tourism can be used to strengthen Kerala’s brand value in IT. Uber founder Travis Kalanick wrote the software code for the Uber taxi from a resort at Varkala. We can highlight this aspect. There would be several other similar instances. The IT-tourism sectors which are closely interrelated in Kerala can be utilized. Quick decisions should also come from the government departments.
Much more important is seeking the support of Keralites holding top posts in global IT firms to campaign for the state. They can influence investment decisions and ensure that funds reach Kerala. Many of the major firms began operations here in a similar fashion.
What are the apprehensions of investors regarding investing in Kerala?
Facilities for social interactions are of utmost importance. Executives of major IT firms have no such apprehensions regarding Bengaluru or Mumbai. The avenues for relaxation after work, bars and breweries should be there. There is no use shouting from the roof tops about morality. Our cities should have golf course, clubs, sports facilities - especially for tennis, international schools, high-tech hospitals, top class educational institutions and sufficient residential options.
MNCs will not rush to the state only because we have built airports and IT parks along with providing broadband. Top class talents should be attracted to the cities. Such people will relocate to Kerala only if such facilities are available.
Isn’t the arrival of Nissan an indicator that things are changing in Kerala?
The group which includes Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi is one of the biggest automobile makers in the world. Nissan alone sells 60 lakh vehicles every year. All the three brands record around 1 crore sales of cars. Nissan has 1.40 lakh employees, around Rs 8 lakh crore revenue, sells cars in 160 countries and manufactures them in 22 locations.
The biggest brand among autonomous cars is Nissan Leaf. Many big corporates like Microsoft and SAMP are suppliers for Nissan. In India, Nissan deals with Tech Mahindra, Infosys, TCS and other firms. Such companies would show interest in launching operations from Kerala after Nissan arrives here. Tech Mahindra has already announced plans to launch Kerala operations.
When will driverless autonomous cars hit the road?
Autonomous cars need 3,600 cameras, satellite link and a highly efficient radar system. Visuals received should be analysed using artificial intelligence and very advanced technology. Self-driving cars made by Nissan are already undergoing trials in Silicon Valley and Japan. Other firms like Tesla are also developing autonomous cars. As such a vehicle should guarantee an accident-free ride, one cannot guess when it will hit the road commercially.
How do you see the startup environment in Kerala?
There are several aspects to the issue. The support offered by the government and the facilities arranged are excellent. However, the number of startups that attracted attention is very few. Those which could get major funding are also limited. Not even one startup has achieved the status of a Unicorn.
For a startup to be termed successful, it should not only be backed by ideas and technical know-how, but also have to be transformed into a viable industrial product. A market has to be there, along with a revenue model. It helps nobody if solutions are created for imaginary needs. The focus should be on the practical aspect. Techies should aim for big things.
Media reports regarding startups are also not on the right track - they focus only on the startup founders. The claims regarding inventing new fuel or aeroplane should be exposed. Highlighting sensational news is a real waste of time.
