On Wednesday, the Kerala government launched a groundbreaking initiative to address the shortage of land for industrial development and to bridge the gap between industry and academia by establishing campus industry parks in educational institutions throughout the state.

Kerala Law and Industries Minister P Rajeeve inaugurated this historic programme, calling it a transformative step for the future of industries in Kerala.

“Already, 80 educational institutions have shown interest in setting up campus industry parks, and we plan to approve 25 of them this year,” Rajeeve said, noting that this number is flexible, with additional parks being approved if they show exceptional promise.

The industry department, in collaboration with the higher education department, conducted a land assessment of educational institutions and found many with surplus land beyond regulatory requirements.

“In Kerala, the lack of available and affordable land has been a barrier to industrial infrastructure development. To address this, we developed the idea of campus industry parks,” Rajeeve explained.

He mentioned that this decision followed extensive consultations with industry experts and district-level discussions to understand industry needs and formulate a supportive policy.

Twenty-two key sectors were identified as suitable for Kerala’s conditions, leading to the creation of campus industry parks alongside private ones—a first in the country.

These parks aim to enhance academic learning by allowing students to work within them, commercializing their research, and providing practical, course-related training.

“The parks will be available to all eligible institutions, whether government, aided, or self-financed,” Rajeeve added, with the government offering Rs. 1.5 crore in infrastructure development incentives per institution.

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