Kochi: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday inaugurated a 1.8-lakh-square-feet facility housing incubation set-ups across a string of segments in modern technology under the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM).
This, thus, makes it India’s largest startup ecosystem. Kerala Government is working for the state to have a total area of 2.3 crore sq ft of IT space.
The Integrated Startup Complex comprises the ultra modern facilities of Maker Village that promotes hardware startups; the BioNest that promotes medical technologies; BRINC, which is the country’s first international accelerator for hardware startups; BRIC, which aids developing solutions for cancer diagnosis and care; and a Centre of Excellence set up by industry majors, such as UNITY.
In his speech at KINFRA Hi Tech Park, Kalamassery, Vijayan said, “We are also planning to give direct jobs to 2.5 lakh in IT.” He added that the government was working to ensure that information technology fosters social development. He also added that after three more such projects, the State will have startup and incubation space of 5 lakh sq ft, which will be the largest of this type in the world.
Noting that no less than 30 applications for patent has gone from startups with the 13.5-acre TIZ, the Chief Minister said it as a sign of the high-quality work in the zone. Simultaneously, Kerala was sensing increasing optimism in boosting software export from the state.
Besides the Maker Villager with its 30-odd startups, the facility has nascent firms working in fields like biotechnology, computer-aided design, augmented/virtual reality and advanced communication.
M Sivasankar, secretary, IT, said that the entire space at the TIZ facility has been sold out. He also noted that this has never happened in the country, as it usually takes a couple of years for an incubator to get the whole area occupied.
Kalamassery MLA Ebrahim Kunju, in his presidential address, said Kerala has been proving to be a superpower in south India in the field of IT and incubation.
BioNest was launched by Ernakulam MP Prof K V Thomas. It is a startup the KSUM has established in association with Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology with financial aid from BIRAC under the union government’s Department of Bio Tech and has 20 companies involved in deep research in biotechnology and allied fields.
The BRIC was inaugurated by Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja and it will chiefly work in fighting cancer. The BRIC will work in accordance with a Cancer Strategic Action Plan and funds totalling Rs 350 crore.
According to officials, TIZ is set to become the country’s largest Work-Live-Play space exclusively dedicated to startups. The Maker Village has 65 startups working in electronics hardware technologies.