KOCHI: Keralam must focus on cutting-edge, knowledge-based industries to create local employment, reduce migration and enable reverse migration, Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan said on Monday.
“Beyond just producing graduates, we must understand the demands of the market,” Radhakrishnan said while inaugurating an industry-academia summit on ‘India, Impact of AI’ and the silver jubilee celebrations of the Rajagiri School of Engineering & Technology (RSET).
The state’s limited availability of land and high land costs make it difficult to attract large traditional industries, the VP said. Keralam, Radhakrishnan said, must leverage its strong educational base and talent pool to attract high-tech enterprises and build an ecosystem that encourages research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The VP called for greater investment in research-oriented higher education, innovative teaching, interdisciplinary research, responsible use of artificial intelligence and stronger industry-academia partnerships. Such collaborations, he said, are essential for making Bharat a global hub for technology and startups.
Highlighting Keralam’s achievements in literacy, social development and human capital, the vice-president said Rajagiri had contributed not only to producing technocrats but also leaders in public life. He congratulated the institution on completing 25 years and appreciated its efforts to combine values with technological excellence.
Recalling the contributions of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) and the legacy of Kuriakose Elias Chavara, he said the community had played a pioneering role in democratising learning, promoting women’s education and adult literacy, and ensuring that poverty and hunger did not prevent people from accessing education.
He also laid the foundation stone for RSET’s administrative block. Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Chief Minister V D Satheesan, Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi, Higher Education Minister Roji M John, and others attended.