Kerala to come up as south Asias life sciences and med-tech hub: Kerala industries minister P Rajeev
Mr. Rajeev said Kerala's Industrial Policy 2023 explicitly identifies biotechnology, life sciences and medical devices as sunrise sectors. He invited global companies to view the State not merely as a manufacturing base but as a long-term innovation partner.
Kochi: Kerala has set a clear objective to emerge as a leading South Asian hub for medical devices, diagnostics and life-sciences manufacturing, said P. Rajeev, Minister for Law, Industries and Coir, Government of Kerala.
He was inaugurating a High-Level Strategic Investment Facilitation Dialogue for the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) and MedTech sector convened by the Industry Department, Government of Kerala, in association with Agappe Diagnostics Ltd, at hotel Taj Airport International, Nedumbassery, on Saturday.
The closed-door dialogue, held as part of Agappe’s 30th anniversary year, brought together senior government officials, global MedTech and diagnostics companies from Japan, US, China and other international markets, investment advisory firms, Indian manufacturers, healthcare service providers, research institutions and policy stakeholders.
Mr. Rajeeve said that the medical devices and life sciences sector lay at the core of Kerala’s development philosophy.
"Kerala’s growth has always been rooted in strong social foundations such as public health, education and human development. We are consciously carrying this legacy forward into advanced manufacturing, biotechnology and medical devices,” he said.
He underlined that biotechnology and MedTech were not niche laboratory activities but strategic pillars of Kerala’s future economy. Medical devices, he noted, uniquely integrate biomaterials, advanced manufacturing, electronics, data science, clean energy and climate responsibility, making them central to future-ready industrial policy.
Outlining the State’s long-term investment vision, the Minister said that Kerala’s competitiveness rested on three foundations — exceptional human capital, policy stability with institutional continuity, and ethical, transparent governance.
"In a global environment where supply chains are being re-evaluated, trust matters as much as cost. Kerala offers both,” he said.
Mr. Rajeeve said Kerala’s Industrial Policy 2023 explicitly identifies biotechnology, life sciences and medical devices as sunrise sectors. He invited global companies to view the State not merely as a manufacturing base but as a long-term innovation partner.
"The State is keen to anchor global OEMs, strengthen MSME supplier ecosystems and support startups in regulatory navigation and global market access. We offer talent with trust, innovation with regulation, and growth with sustainability,” he said.
Kerala is also proud to be India’s first State with a dedicated ESG Policy, ensuring that sustainability strengthens competitiveness rather than increasing compliance burden.
"This makes Kerala-manufactured devices future-ready for regulated global markets, especially Europe and North America,” he said.
The Minister also pointed to Kerala’s science-to-enterprise track record, citing indigenous medical technologies developed at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology and the role of research institutions such as the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology.
"In Kerala, research does not end in publications. It enters hospitals, factories and global supply chains,” he said.
He also highlighted dedicated infrastructure, including the BIO 360 Life Sciences Park in Thiruvananthapuram and a Medical Devices Park aimed at supporting scale-up and commercial production.
A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries & Commerce, Revenue and External Cooperation), Government of Kerala; C. Balagopal, Chairman, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation; Thomas John, Managing Director, Agappe Diagnostics and Joseph John, Chairman, Agappe Diagnostics spoke in the inaugural session.
A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries & Commerce, Revenue and External Cooperation), Government of Kerala, said Kerala offers a globally competitive investment ecosystem, combining sustainability, skilled human capital, digital infrastructure and global connectivity.
Kerala’s development model, he said, prioritises green industries, energy efficiency, education and healthcare, while near-universal digital connectivity enables transparent governance and inclusive service delivery. He said that the State’s strength lies in its educated workforce and quality of life rather than land availability.
Mohammed Hanish also highlighted logistics advantages, including ports, national waterways, highways and green mobility initiatives, which reduce transit time and costs. He noted the rapid expansion of the MSME sector, with over four lakh enterprises established since April 2022, including a significant share of women-led businesses.
C. Balagopal, Chairman, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation said Kerala offers a conducive ecosystem for high-tech, knowledge-driven and sustainable investments, particularly for Japanese companies in medical devices and life sciences.
Despite accounting for just one per cent of India’s land area, Kerala contributes over 4.25 per cent of national GDP and nearly 10 percent of FMCG consumption, reflecting high purchasing power and balanced urbanisation. He said the State contributes about 16 per cent of India’s medical device output, with over 85 companies operating in a highly regulated environment.
The discussions were aligned with the India–Japan Joint Vision for the Next Decade (2025–2035) and focused on translating bilateral cooperation into investment facilitation, joint R&D, technology transfer, regulatory cooperation and manufacturing partnerships.
At the conclusion of the inaugural session, the event also witnessed the signing of an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the KSIDC by Prasad Rajappan, Founder and Managing Director of Cnergyis Infotech (ZingHR), a cloud-based HR technology firm serving over 28 lakh employees across India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The company proposes to establish a development centre in Kerala focused on artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies. Mr. Rajappan said the swift signing of the EOI by P. Rajeeve reflected the State’s facilitative approach to investors and reinforced confidence in Kerala’s "Invest in Kerala” initiative.