Job creation a key component of Govt’s industrial policy: Shri P Rajeeve
Minister addresses MSME Day event
Trivandrum / June 27, 2025
Thiruvananthapuram, June 27: The New industrial Policy of the state government has significantly transformed Kerala’s entrepreneurial landscape and sharply increased job opportunities, enabling youth to settle in the state itself, Minister for Industries, Coir and Law Shri P Rajeeve said today.
The Minister was inaugurating International MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) Day celebrations organized jointly by the Department of Industries & Commerce (DIC) and KERA project here.
The focal theme of the MSME Day in the state was ARYSE-Kerala (Awareness and Response for Young and Student Entrepreneurs), which reflected the government's commitment in empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Shri Antony Raju, MLA, presided over the function.
“In the backdrop of the geo-political tensions, we are already experiencing a rise in reverse migration and the state government is committed to promote an industry-friendly ecosystem that generates employment and supports economic growth that will help the youth to settle in the state itself”, Shri Rajeeve said.
Shri. APM Mohamed Hanish, Principal Secretary, Department of Industries and Commerce; Dr. B. Ashok IAS, Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Farmers Welfare Department & Project Director, KERA; and Shri. Vishnuraj P IAS, Director, Directorate of Industries and Commerce attended the function.
Listing out the strides made by Kerala’s industrial sector, Shri Rajeeve said around 3.5 lakh new MSME’s were registered through Udyam registration in the last four years with an estimated investment of around Rs. 23,000 crores and generating 7.25 lakh employment opportunities.
“We are focusing more on knowledge-based industries by leveraging the state’s highly skilled and readily available talent pool,” the Minister added.
Initiatives like K-store and K-shoppe has significantly increased the sale of products from homegrown MSME’s and nano units. With Made in Kerala initiative, we have already branded coconut oil as ‘Nanma’ which gained popularity among customers; ten more such products will be branded under Made in Kerala initiative, the minister noted.
Other government interventions include the increased subsidies and the margin money for nano units, establishing Campus Industrial Parks to promote youth entrepreneurship, private industrial estate scheme which encourages the development of private industrial estates, support for marketing, taxation and sustenance of MSME’s which all helped in improving the industrial climate in the state, Shri Rajeeve said.
The Invest Kerala Global Summit (IKGS) held in Kochi earlier this year, fetched an investment of Rs. 1.96 lakh crores, Shri Rajeeve added.
Shri Rajeeve said Kerala is the only state that recorded 100 percent growth in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) according to a recently released Union Government report.
The state now stands as the top achiever in Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in the country, due to the upfront policy initiatives of the government, he said.
The coordinated efforts by the government and the Industries Department has succeeded in significantly reducing the mortality rate of new- born MSMEs, he said.
Based on the studies conducted by IIM Indore and Centre for Management Development (CMD), Thiruvananthapuram, the government plans to launch a project called Mission 10000, which aims to scale up 10000 nano enterprises which could generate an average turnover of rupees one crore each with a net turnover of Rs. 1 lakh crores. This initiative will strengthen the industrial sector’s economic dynamics, besides generating more employment opportunities, he noted.
The final round of the mega quiz competition for college students in undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and ITI courses was also held on the occasion. The state-level competition was organized to raise awareness among the public, engage the student community, and promote a culture of entrepreneurship in them.
Shri. Mohamed Ameen KM and Shri. Bichu K Abraham of CUSAT, Ernakulam, won the first prize of Rs 50,000 and certificate.
Presentations on “Value-added Agricultural/Industrial Production Initiatives” by Prof. Dr. Suma Diwakar of Kerala Agriculture University and "Climate change and climate resilient agriculture’ by Dr. Lakshmi PM, Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, were made at the event.
Shri. P. Gopinathan of Ecotex Handloom Consortium and Shri. K. Bhavadasan, Managing Director, KP Namboodiris Ayurvedics, Thrissur, were honoured at the event for their inspirational models of entrepreneurship.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Directorate of Industries and Commerce and the World Bank aided KERA project was signed at the event. Shri. APM Mohamed Hanish IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Industries and Commerce and Dr B Ashok IAS, Project Director, KERA signed the MoU. The scheme aims at providing financial assistance to MSMEs, particularly in the value-based food processing sector.
Vyavasaya Jalakam 2025 handbook, a comprehensive resource book for entrepreneurs and stakeholders, was released at the function.
Smt. Annie Jula Thomas IAS, Director, Coir Development Department; Dr. K.S. Kripa Kumar, Director, Handlooms & Textiles Department; Shri Santosh Koshy Thomas, Managing Director, KINFRA; Shri Rajiv G, Additional Director, Department of Industries and Commerce; Shri. Fasiludheen, State Vice President, KSSIA; Shri Suresh Mathew, Co-Chair, FICCI Kerala State Council and Shri. Suresh Thampi; Procurement Officer, SPMU, KERA Project; Shri P Ganesh, Former Chairman, CII, Kerala State Council, were also present at the event. Shri. Suresh Thampi, Procurement Officer, SPMU, KERA Project delivered the vote of thanks.
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