KOZHIKODE: The leadership workshop for the Keralam Cabinet, titled ‘Re-imagining Keralam’, which concluded on Saturday at the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK), saw dynamic participation by cabinet members who became students for two days. Senior leaders like Ramesh Chennithala and P K Kunhalikutty emerged as some of the most active participants, frequently asking questions and engaging with faculty. Chief Minister V D Satheesan was similarly inquisitive, making frequent interjections and expressing strong interest in long-term academic partnerships.
Organised by the state government to discover new developmental directions and possibilities for a new era in Keralam, the retreat brought together key leadership to brainstorm long-term strategies for state administration.
The event covered an array of strategic themes ranging from technological adaptation to fiscal sustainability. On the opening day, discussions centred on transformative leadership in the age of artificial intelligence, positioning Keralam as a global health and wellness tourism destination, building climate-resilient communities, the next phase of public health, and translating policy into effective governance.
Global experts and academics addressed the cabinet, including IIMK Director Professor Debashis Chatterjee, Aravind Eye Hospital chief medical officer Dr Aravind Srinivasan, Professor Rajib Shaw from Keio University in Japan, Narayana Health Founder Dr Devi Shetty, and Dr Sanchayan Banerjee from King’s College London.
The final day expanded into financial, educational, and generational strategies, detailing Keralam’s Silver Economy Mission, strengthening the state’s fiscal foundation, fostering entrepreneurship and skill development, transforming Keralam into a centre of excellence for higher education and building Keralam as a global brand. Sessions were led by prominent academics, including Professor Deepa Sethi, Prof Priya Nair Rajeev, Prof Mridul K Saggar, among others.
