Kerala State Launches Overseas Infinity Centre in Dubai to Foster Global Startup Opportunities
The Indian state of Kerala has inaugurated its first overseas Infinity Centre for the startup ecosystem in Dubai. This initiative aims to provide Malayali innovators with access to global partnerships and investments.
The centre was launched by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as part of the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), which serves as a central agency for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities.
During the inauguration ceremony in Dubai, Chief Minister Vijayan highlighted that Kerala had missed opportunities to accelerate growth in the IT sector, despite being the first state in India to establish a Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram back in 1990. However, he emphasized that the state government has been actively exploring avenues to develop and support the startup ecosystem.
Through the government’s persistent efforts, Kerala currently boasts a network of 4,400 startups, 63 incubators, 425 mini-incubators, and 1 million square feet of incubation space. The state aims to generate an additional 20,000 jobs this year, witnessing what the Chief Minister described as a “startup explosion.” The emergence of the startup ecosystem has transformed the mindset of the youth, who are now creating jobs rather than seeking them.
The Infinity Centre in Dubai has partnered with Startup Middle East, a Dubai-based platform, to facilitate its operations in the UAE. Sibi Sudhakaran, the founder of Startup Middle East, and Anoop Ambika, CEO of KSUM, formalized the partnership through an agreement signing.
Chief Minister Vijayan explained that the Infinity Centre in Dubai will serve as a launchpad for startups in Kerala and provide NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) with an opportunity to become entrepreneurs and contribute to the state’s growth story. KSUM plans to establish Infinity centres as a pilot in various locations worldwide, including the United States, Australia, and Europe. These centres will serve as one-stop destinations for Indian expats to engage with Kerala-based startups and KSUM, enabling them to co-create and establish businesses either in their resident country or in India.
In addition to the Infinity Centre, Chief Minister Vijayan announced plans to establish two more IT parks in Kerala. Furthermore, the government aims to create IT corridors across the state, spanning regions such as Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam, Alappuzha-Ernakulam, Ernakulam-Koratty, and Kozhikode-Kannur. The state government is actively working on land acquisition for these projects, with the goal of enhancing infrastructure to attract more IT companies, including major international names, to Kerala.
Kerala’s Chief Secretary V.P. Joy emphasized that the state is moving toward becoming a knowledge economy, supported by the government’s efforts to digitize its offices and reduce paper usage. Startups play a crucial role in strengthening the state’s industry and economy, and the government aims to increase the number of startups from the current 4,400 to 15,000 within the next three years.
KSUM CEO Anoop emphasized that the success of the new Infinity Centre relies on utilizing the infrastructure effectively, highlighting the vital role of the Indian diaspora in this endeavor.
The inauguration event was attended by Indian Ambassador to the UAE Sunjay Sudhir, Consul General of India in Dubai Dr. Aman Puri, Chairman of Lulu Group International Yusuffali M.A., Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare Azad Moopen, and Vice Chairman of Norka Roots P. Sreeramakrishnan, among others.
