THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala is second to none when it comes to writing computer programmes, or at least knowing how to code. As many as 9.8% of the state’s population aged between 15 and 29 years are adept at the task, according to the ‘multiple indicator survey’ conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. This is the highest in India, said the report that was released in March and shared on social media recently. The national average is 2.4%.
The reason for this could be attributed to the state’s high literacy rates, the presence of IT companies in Kerala, connectivity to IT hubs such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, and availability of skilled young professionals.
The nationwide survey aimed to record the number of people between 15 and 29 capable of coding in the country. As per the report, Kerala was followed by Sikkim (6.8%), Tamil Nadu (6.3%), Karnataka (6.2%), Telangana (5.7%), and Andhra Pradesh (4.2%).
At 8.7%, Andaman and Nicobar Islands was at the top among union territories. Meghalaya (0.2%), Bihar (0.5%), Chhattisgarh (0.7%) and Assam (0.7%) were at the bottom of the list.
It was also observed that south India had more young men and women who could write computer programmes using specialised languages than other regions in India.
Recently, Brendran Rogers, a global investor and partner at 2 am Venture Capital, shared the NSSO survey report on his social media page.
Coding talent in state helps startups grow rapidly
“India has the best engineers in the world. The rise of young engineers is growing fast. The percentage of Indians who teach themselves how to code is remarkable. It will lead to more startups and continue to push India forward,” Brendran Rogers said. Deepu S Nath, the CEO of MuLearn, an NGO working to impart training on engineering skills, including coding, said Keralites have good aptitude, and logical and critical thinking. “They are good at maths, too. This is the main reason why they excel at coding,” he said.
V Sreekumar, Centre Head of Tata Elxsi in Thiruvananthapuram and secretary of GTech, said the rise in the number of Keralites in IT companies is a perfect example of the talent here. “The development centre of Tata Elxsi in Bengaluru has a considerable number of Malayalis. This is because they have technical expertise. In Kerala, many youngsters tend to work in IT firms and more of them are learning programming compared to other states. It means we have a pool of natural coders, and, of course, they have good logical reasoning skills,” Sreekumar said.
The coding talent in the state has also helped startups grow rapidly in the existing ecosystem.
“Our primary objective is to engage and support aspiring developers in their initial stages of coding journey We are witnessing an encouraging trend in Kerala, where young people, even school students and first-year graduates, are passionately engaging with open source projects and seeking real-world learning experiences. We are dedicated to nurturing and collaborating with these young talents, providing learning avenues and incentivizing their contributions through rewards and exclusive swags, “ said Shiv Shankar M S, CEO Engagespot, a startup in Thiruvananthapuram.
Meanwhile, MuLearn, in association with Kerala Startup Mission and Gtech, has launched the ‘Top 100 Coding Series’ challenge to identify, reward, and engage talents in programming, product design, and product making, with the potential to build tech products that can tap the global market.
The event, which is currently under way, will discover and brand top 100 coders through a structured three-level coding challenge spanning across 45 days till October 31.
Registrations will be open till October 31, the last day. Initially, 250 coders will be shortlisted, and the final 100 will be announced at the upcoming Huddle Global 2023 event scheduled for November in Thiruvananthapuram.
Deepu said MuLearn has trained nearly 23,000 students, who are capable of coding, directly at their respective educational institutions. “The Top 100’ programme is also an exercise to identify talented coders in Kerala,” he said.