State working towards a design policy: CM Pinarayi

KOCHI: Kerala is working towards a design policy with the intention to make the state a global hub in the fast-emerging creative field by capitalising on the region’s strong startup ecosystem and traditionally vibrant culture, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday.

He was inaugurating the two-day Kochi Design Week (KDW) at Bolghatty Island in Kochi. “The government is conducting a ‘wide array of discussions’ with experts to locate the areas that require focal attention to promote design as a means to augment economic development,” he said.

“We are looking for solutions to problems by checking the prospects of new designs. We are aware of the social impact it has on the growth of the economy,” the chief minister pointed out.

Highlighting inquisitiveness and critical thinking as the two factors essential to foray into design, Pinarayi said Kerala possessed both due to the state’s recent initiatives in the field alongside its rich pool of age-old performing arts known for their colour and compositions. “Thus, while traditional art forms like Theyyam and Kathakali have already given Kerala a good sense of design, the area has been further rejuvenated by the administrative impetus on innovative fabrications propelled by facilities such as K-FON (Kerala fibre optic network) and strong internet connectivity,” he said at the event hosted by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM).

The ideas emerging from KDW-3 will work as inputs for the proposed design policy. “Here in this city, we now have the Kochi-Muziris Biennale that throws more light on the aesthetics of design,” he added.

Industries Minister P Rajeeve said the state aims to launch ‘Made in Kerala’ as a brand, bringing under it products such as coconut oil, cashew nut and coir. “This will hit the market only after strict quality inspection,” he revealed, adding that the government will use an e-commerce platform to implement the idea.

Also, the state will go for innovative designs in its famed handloom and handicrafts, collaborating with the National Institute of Fashion Technology and Institute of Fashion Technology Kerala, the minister said. The ceremony saw World Design Council’s Gazzard handing over the council’s Expression of Interest to the CM, with the aim of boosting ‘design thought’ in the state.