From red flags to the red carpet – the changing entrepreneurial landscape in Kerala – Part 3

This is the third part of the four part series which attempts to take a deep dive into the opportunities that present itself in Kerala and how the state is shaking off the lethargy of the past and creating a miraculous industrial future !Brevity has been conscious for the style of the prose and but the data is vast to fit tomes , when one looks at ‘TOURISM’ in Kerala.

One look at Kerala and you feel that God has been unfairly kind to the state. Bestowed with a topography of the heavens, it presents the best of hills, plains , rivers, lakes and the idyllic coastlines. The sylvan backwaters and the heady city mosaic are sketched with multiple shades of green. A color which presents the best of environment, borders every picture ever clicked in Kerala.

Kerala has been on the radar on many a decade. The natural beauty of the state has been lauded in many a publication including the National Geographic and the Conde Nast traveller. In a rapidly urbanising India , the rest of India also come into Kerala to savour a natural blend of the ‘green’ with the ‘concrete’ – where the it has never been a war but a natural symbiotic growth. This is at a time where the ‘concrete’ seems to be clearly winning over ‘green’ in the rest of the world , why just India.

The business case for tourism is also vibrant and compelling. A dollar spend in a sector begets a dollar or two in building the economy in the region. The multiplier is quite high when it comes to manufacturing – roughly $ 4.5 for every $1 spend on the economy. But for a tourism conducive locale like Kerala – the multiplier for tourism is more $6.7 for every dollar spend. This is because , it is not just the employment and the ecosystem that tourism generates but the linkages it has around the entire business landscape ! From a business standpoint there is no debate !

The other linkages are too strong to ignore :-

Traditional KERALA

The state is a veritable collage and cultural fusion of the world. The best of Kerala is also seen in Kochi where the best way to understand people is to savour the Onam ( popular festival)sadya(feast).The delicious aroma of cooked rice, mingled with pieces and the woodsmoke wafts through air where the banana leaves are laid .The leaves are brightened by the silver drops of water dancing on the green contours of the leaves. All the dishes are arranged in an order that makes the palate look like a painting. Several islands of colours spread on the leaves. The best of Kerala is not a ‘see and go’ theatre – it is a ‘stay and experience’ proposition !

Artisitic KERALA

The Muziris Biennale has proved that Kerala has a world culture breathing in it. The wide diaspora of Keralites working around the world and profuse indulgence of the Dutch ,Jews and Portuguese has given an artistic identify which not only finds similarity with the global tourist, but also presents a unique flavour that only Kerala and that too Kochi , retains. Within a short time since its inception , the Muziris Biennale has been rated amongst the best and is on the world tourist calendar.

Egalitarian KERALA

The HDI indicators of Kerala are not be scoffed at. The best countries in India and the world will take a decade to reach some of the figures that Kerala boasts of. A society such as this will focus on development locally and show the world that ‘small and local’ will thrive. The conscious society is law abiding and is well aware of its duty and its rights. An exemplary model of secularism and plurality, it has amongst the highest density of religious institutions, where people of different caste and creed celebrate together. The local governance is participative, inclusive and provides last mile governance through a well networked web of Panchayats and Taluks.

‘Konnected’ KERALA

Kerala has among the fastest rising mobile population in India and this prepares for e-commerce in unprecedented ways. The average time the young and old Keralite not just connecting but transacting commerce on their phone is reaching astounding levels. Digital literacy is high and slowly the digital infrastructure will swell to meet the demands. Every service provider has Kochi as one of the priority cities to focus on looking at the potential market of consumers.

With the right focus on building infrastructure and ‘smartly’ aligning policies , sky is the limit. A small incident which comes to me – some years ago , when treasures were covered in the Sri PadmanabhaSwamy Temple in Trivandrum , in Kerala – there was a media frenzy in valuing the temple assets and comparing it to the Vatican and other such much visited places of spiritual importance. That is not the important tenet around the discovery – the importance is – ‘this is perhaps , God , telling the non resident Keralaite that – “All the wealth in the world resides in God’s own Country“!


Written by Mr. Rajesh Nair, President TiE Kerala

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