Terming Kerala as the powerhouse of the Digital India campaign, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Friday that the State could leverage its advantage in key areas to create more employment opportunities.
Speaking after launching the Technocity project at Mangalapuram, near here, he said Kerala’s strengths in basic literacy and skills, and the experience of its people in the services sector and in consumer-driven industries, made it a natural choice for an IT ecosystem. The State’s strengths in the IT, tourism and health-care sectors would help create more jobs for talented youth.
Mr. Kovind said the future of the country’s economy was heavily dependent on the success of the Digital India campaign. “The jobs of tomorrow will come more and more from digital services and other opportunities that are derived from the Internet.”
Information Technology, he said, had played a game-changing role in education, tourism and many other industries in Kerala. “The State is ranked eighth in terms of software exports and the IT sector provides direct employment to one lakh people. There is immense capacity to make these numbers grow.”
Mr. Kovind said Kerala had become a role model in creating a remarkable hospitality industry with the participation of the local people. The State also had a head start in providing trained and capable health-care providers for hospitals across the country and abroad.
Pointing out that people from Kerala were an essential part of the economic landscape in many parts of the country and abroad, he hailed the contribution of migrant workers from Kerala to the economy.
Governor P. Sathasivam presided over the function and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan delivered the keynote address. A. Sampath, MP, C.Divakaran, MLA, Chief Secretary K.M. Abraham and IT secretary M. Sivasankar were present.
The President lighted a ceremonial lamp and unveiled a plaque to launch the Technocity project and the construction of the first government IT building on the campus.
