Kozhikode showing potential to top India’s tier-2 IT cities: experts
Calicut / March 1, 2024
Kozhikode, Mar 1: Kozhikode stands atop among the country’s tier-2 cities with a potential to become a global IT hub, considering infrastructural development, topography and culture steeped in diversity, observed speakers at a high-profile technology conclave here.
With the city advancing in providing amenities amid increased interest from IT companies in setting up offices, Kozhikode has become a model for the rest of the states, speakers noted at the three-day Kerala Technology Expo (KTX) here.
KTX is being organized by CITI 2.0 (Calicut Innovation and Technology Initiative) that comprises nine leading academic and industrial institutions, including Kerala IT Parks.
Cyberpark CEO Mr Susanth Kurunthil, while highlighting the prospects of Kozhikode making further progress in innovation and information technology, pointed out that the city’s workforce in the domain has shown a particularly positive attitude that is reflecting on their work culture since the start of this decade.
“Of late, IT employees have begun showing interest in working closer to their homes and avoid offices in metros and megacities. For them, Kozhikode has become a major attraction,” he said.
Not only does Kozhikode guarantee high quality of life, the city has its centuries-old commercial links with the Gulf that sustains the prosperity of Malabar, Mr Kurunthil observed. “Besides excellent transport facilities by road, rail, air and even water, the city has a rich tradition of cuisine, literature, music, theatre and cinema,” he added. “I’m sure more IT entrepreneurs will invest in Kozhikode in the months and years to come.”
Recalling British-American investor-scientist Paul Graham’s monumental 2006 essay titled ‘How to be Silicon Valley’, Mr Kurunthil said, “You only need two kinds of people to create a technology hub: rich people and nerds.” If that global IT centre in the US has had the backing of higher-education institutions in its vicinity, Kozhikode enjoys the support of IIM-K, NIT and even IIT-Palakkad which is not far away,” he said.
KTX is being organized by CITI 2.0 (Calicut Innovation and Technology Initiative) that comprises nine leading academic and industrial institutions, including Kerala IT Parks.
Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited (KSITIL) Managing Director Dr Santhosh Babu noted Kozhikode stands apart from the other cities of the state with its surging rise in IT and innovation. “The ongoing KTX will help in bringing back Malayalis from the Gulf to Kerala and its northern region by creating more job opportunities,” he observed. “The government, which has already decided to expand the state’s IT corridors, has identified 5,000 acres of land and 15 locations in Kozhikode. Kerala’s IT policy will be a game-changer, leading to an influx of more investors.”
“Kerala, with its peculiar conditions, cannot become a manufacturer or producer like some other states in the country. We have our niche area, and IT is one among them,” said Dr Babu. “Kozhikode is a good destination for deep tech; you have several higher-education institutions here. We should be able to encourage investment in the state by providing land to entrepreneurs,” he added.
To Kozhikode District Collector Mr Snehil Kumar Singh, the city can welcome even high-profile investors if the stakeholders ensure a congenial IT ecosystem. “The necessary upgrade can help the city tune into the meeting the demands. The task can be accomplished,” he said, adding that Kerala cannot look forward to the kind of facilities most other states in the country boast to woo investors.
Kozhikode Cyberpark General Manager Mr Vivek Nair said several firms at the IT centre in Kozhikode have a thriving presence in the Gulf. “They also have an impressive number of customers there. Stronger use of them can further strengthen Cyberpark and its IT firms,” he added.
On Thursday, inaugurating KTX, Kerala PWD and Tourism Minister Shri Mohamed Riyas called upon CITI 2.0 to go for a “solid study” on ways to boost IT in north Kerala, while assuring governmental support that would enable Malabar to rise to its potential.
At Calicut Trade Centre, KTX, with more than 6,000 delegates, has 200-plus stalls and 100 speakers of international repute.
ENDS
