Kochi: Last year when a firm advertised 100 openings for picking onions on a South Korean farm, nearly 5,000 educated Malayalis, including IT professionals and MBA holders, applied.

This rush among educated Keralites to apply for a field job they are alien to and in a place with sub-zero temperatures was nothing but a telling example of a massive social trend that is transforming Kerala: Brain drain.

At the Manorama News Conclave 2023, while discussing the topic 'Business in Kerala: The Brain Drain Question', two young and successful Kerala-based entrepreneurs had two major solutions to reverse the drain.

One, it is time for Kerala to identify its strengths and concentrate on developing those sectors. Two, advertise and scale up social and entertainment infrastructure that would prompt even non-Malayalis to work in Kerala.

"I think it is time for Kerala to step backwards and see where Kerala should be in 15 years. We should constitute a large working group to create that forward vision," said Ashok Mani, the managing director and CEO of Intergroup Brands Pvt Ltd. Mani said this working group should identify the segments that would give Kerala the advantage, and work towards achieving a competitive edge in these sectors.

"I don't think wanting to be the hub for the automobile industry would work for Kerala. That space has already been taken up by Gujarat and neighbouring Tamil Nadu," Mani said. Even being a large farmer in Kerala is not possible, he said.

Mani, and his co-panelist Vivek Venugopal, had in mind clean industries like IT, biotechnology and tourism. "In short, Kerala should identify segments that we could champion. And responsible entrepreneurs should choose from this list," Mani said.

Vivek Venugopal, the director of AVA Group of Companies, said once Kerala chose its strengths, it should create support systems to make people want to work in Kerala. He especially stressed the importance of having entertainment avenues in Kerala. "For someone working beyond 10 in the night should have some means to get relief," he said, a clear critique of Kerala's policy of abstinence.

Vivek brought to attention the great transformation that is beckoning Kerala: the imminent commissioning of the Vizhinjam port. "Now we need to see that the people who come from afar to the shores of Vizhinjam in mighty ships return as our brand ambassadors," Vivek said.

He said Kerala already had certain strengths it could leverage. Especially its excellent health and education infrastructure. "This infrastructure is just right to attract the youth who are about to settle in their lives, those in the early 30s," he said. His AVA Group recently hired a non-Malayali who was given Chennai and Kerala as choices. "He had a small family with ageing parents. He chose Kochi," Vivek said.

Both the entrepreneurs had one tip to offer those wanting to set shop in Kerala: Be respectful of Kerala's labour force and its unions. This was stated not with sarcasm but as a piece of serious wisdom. Mani and Vivek are also best placed to offer this advice: Both had never suffered a labour problem in their companies.