Kerala should seize investment opportunities like TN: Rajeev Chandrasekhar at Sampadyam Business meet
He stressed the need for nurturing talent as a necessity for drawing opportunities.
He stressed the need for nurturing talent as a necessity for drawing opportunities.
He stressed the need for nurturing talent as a necessity for drawing opportunities.
Kochi: Kerala should seize the increasing opportunities to attract investments in sectors like electronics and technology, former Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said in Kochi on Thursday. The technocrat-turned-politician said Kerala should pursue the investment opportunities that the neighbouring Tamil Nadu has been successfully drawing in.
He was inaugurating the Malayala Manorama Sampadyam Business Summit 2025 at Grand Hyatt, the second edition of the event.
“When India gets opportunities robust competition is underway among states. Kerala is a bit behind in seizing the opportunities and attracting investments. Tamil Nadu has been doing well in electronics and technology. We can also pursue the same opportunities. We are not doing it enough,” Chandrasekhar said as he elaborated on the ongoing trends in the economy.
He stressed the need for nurturing talent as a necessity for drawing opportunities. “Investment will go to where the talent is, and talent goes to where opportunities are,” he said.
Listing out certain trends he has been observing in the economy, Chandrasekhar said the architecture of the Indian GDP has shifted from the model centred around the public sector and a handful of conglomerates to one that is driven by a larger ecosystem of businesses consisting of digital ventures and young entrepreneurs. He said China’s dominance over the global supply and value chain in electronics and technology has been shifting, and India should seize the opportunity. He, however, said that India could not assume to be a natural beneficiary of the shift as there is competition from other South Asian countries.
Jayant Mammen Mathew, executive editor and director of Malayala Manorama, delivered the welcome address. “Kerala has always been a pioneering state for resourcefulness and entrepreneurship. And in the past decade we have seen an enormous number of companies go public and pan India. From gold to spice to finance, Kerala companies are market leaders. In fact, our talent is sought across from around the world. Kerala has a vibrant startup ecosystem across all sectors, not just tech. And I'm sure in the coming years, some of them will become unicorns,” he said.
Sreejith Kottarathil, general manager and zonal head, Bank of Baroda, and Varghese Chandy, vice president, marketing, Malayala Manorama, spoke. Shaji Varghese, CEO, Muthoot Fincorp and Prince George, MD, Doha Brokerage Financial Services, also were present at the inaugural ceremony.