Kerala is gearing up to play a crucial role in India's efforts to establish itself as the global deep tech capital. Promising investment opportunities, particularly through the Emerging Technology Hub (ETH) initiative, are expected to propel the state's comprehensive development, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He was speaking at the inauguration of Huddle Global 2024, a national-level startup conclave organized by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) at the beach tourism hub of Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Chief Minister highlighted that the ETH initiative focuses on five high-growth sectors: food and agriculture, space technology, renewable energy, digital media and entertainment, and healthcare and life sciences. The hub is envisioned as a futuristic product development center dedicated to these areas of innovation, he added.

The 200-million-dollar Kera Project, supported by the World Bank, forms a vital part of Kerala Startup Mission's major initiatives, the CM noted.

"The ETH project will be implemented as a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model on a three-acre campus in Technocity, Thiruvananthapuram, with an investment of around ₹350 crore. I invite investors and enterprises from across the globe to invest in this innovative initiative," Vijayan said.

During the three-day event's inaugural session, several agreements and partnerships were signed. Before delivering his address, the Chief Minister interacted directly with startups and investors attending the conclave.

The CM traced Kerala's startup ecosystem's remarkable growth since 2016, pointing out that the state now hosts over 6,100 startups, provides 62,000+ employment opportunities, and has attracted investments of ₹5,800 crore. These achievements underscore the ecosystem's strength. However, he emphasized the importance of early-stage funding for startups to thrive and urged High Net Worth Individuals (HNIs) in the state to establish angel funds, following the successful examples of the Kerala Angel Network and Malabar Angel Network.

Lastly, Vijayan remarked that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is opening doors to new opportunities. However, it is equally vital to explore AI's potential to develop solutions addressing social challenges, a pursuit the state will continue to focus on.