The number of IT professionals in Kerala has grown from 78,000 to 2.5 lakh in six years between 2016 and 2023 registering a growth of 31%, found a study on Kerala, ‘Investment, Growth & Development 2018-19 to 2022-23: A land of Unlimited Opportunities’, conducted by the MSME Export Promotion Council that was released here recently.
Dubbing Kerala as a front-runner in the promotion, adoption and usage of information technology, the study observes that the State has one of the largest user bases for internet connectivity and mobile density in the country.
Govt. support
According to the study, Kerala’s digital ecosystem is supported by a strong government commitment to digital transformation, a well-educated workforce, a growing start-up scene and strong industry participation in the economy.
Among other things, the study attributes the growth to several initiatives launched by the State government to promote digital adoption and innovation like business infrastructure & ecosystem development, start-up ecosystem development, digital connectivity, e-governance, KSPACE, promotion of research and innovation, stakeholder-friendly IT policy and nurturing talent for new age jobs.
“Considering the large pool of IT professionals of Kerala origin spread across the domestic IT industry, this (growth of 31%) is not very surprising. In fact, the actual number may be even bigger. The growth in IT industry and software exports coupled with the infrastructure development may be contributing factors,” said Saji Gopinath, Vice-Chancellor of the Digital University Kerala and APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, who had also served as the CEO of Kerala Startup Mission in the past.
He said that it was evident that IT professionals from Kerala were increasingly willing to come back home in the context of which the State government had in the last Budget declared the concept of IT corridors.
With the IT sector in itself set to double, Kerala may enjoy a proportionate share and the industry-friendly IT policy may further accelerate the growth, Mr. Gopinath said.
Aneesh Panthalani, President, Progressive Techies, a collective of IT employees, said that the number of IT professionals in Kerala may further grow considering the development of the IT industry and increased willingness of big companies to set up shop, especially in Kochi. He cited how the IBM campus and the new campus of IBS has triggered big recruitment drives.
“The encouragement of start-up ecosystem by the government is a major contributing factor with increasingly large number of youngsters turning to entrepreneurship straight from college. However, the saturation in IT infrastructure should be addressed as in Infopark Kochi alone 150-odd companies were waiting to be assigned space. Third phase of Infopark Kochi should be started through land pooling, which we have suggested in a memorandum submitted during the Navakerala Sadas. Also, statutory clearances should also be made available along with the acquisition of land for IT use,” he said.
The study has found that the stimulation of growth of secondary services like retail, hospitality, transportation and financial services in the city and suburbs, the launch of technology projects in 424 acres of land, Kazhakuttam–Kovalam turning it into the first IT corridor in Kerala may further spur the IT growth in Kerala.
