Kochi: Kerala has the potential to become the next Singapore with the Vizhinjam deep-sea port also coming into the picture, provided the right ecosystem is enabled through supportive policies.
That was the message from the panellists who took part in the debate “Kerala – a Small World of Big Opportunities” at the Invest Kerala Global Summit 2025, which opened in Kochi on Friday.
The panel, moderated by NITI Aayog’s former CEO and G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, highlighted the impact of the Vizhinjam deep-sea port in Thiruvananthapuram and pointed out that it has the potential to mint a new Singapore out of the state.
In the early 1980s, Kerala’s per capita income was comparable to that of Singapore, but after four decades, the Lion City has zoomed ahead to 90,000 dollars. The changes in global trade, the development of technology, and Vizhinjam port are now fashioning a scenario that is offering Kerala a chance to transform itself, the panel participants said.
Ashwani Gupta, Adani Ports and SEZ Limited CEO, said the effect of Vizhinjam port will benefit not just the state but the entire country, as 90 percent of trade by volume is done through seaports.
He also held up Singapore as an example for the future. “Singapore has a shoreline of 193 km but handles 40 million TEUs annually. Of that, 90 percent is transshipments. Kerala, with 600 km of coastline, was doing just 3.5 million TEUs. With the coastline close to the international sea route, Kerala now has ample opportunity as Vizhinjam port can reduce the time and cost of doing business.”
Referring to the role of the IT sector in future development, Shashikumar Sreedharan, Google Cloud APAC COO, said that unlike in the past, there are at least seven technology areas that are new and very disruptive, like blockchain, generative AI, cybersecurity, and Industry 4.0, which offer tremendous opportunities for Kerala.
He said there are now entrenched leaders in these sectors, and the IT talent in the state can take advantage of this.
Jio Platforms CEO Mathew Oommen was gung-ho about the IT potential that Kerala holds and said connectivity, computing, AI, and robotics are some of the areas where the state can compete globally, as the availability of the internet has now increased by leaps and bounds.
He called for efforts to develop a Kerala-specific LLM. “If DeepSeek can achieve a high-quality model by spending just 5.6 million dollars, I absolutely believe we can come up with a ‘KeraLLM’ provided the right infrastructure, power, and support are in place.”
He also said, “Like the MAGA (Make America Great Again) campaign and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s MIGA (Make India Great Again), I think we can create ‘MAGIK’ (Make AI Great in Kerala) as the people of Kerala have the inherent strength and potential and can become exporters not just of skilled people but also of solutions and products.”
AB InBev Vice President Anasuya Ray called for a stable excise policy in the state and said business in low-content liquor like beer is booming in the country, while Anil Ganjoo, President and Chief Growth Officer of HCL Technologies, called for steps to increase international visibility for the state.
UNI DS ARN
