Industries

Where Kerala's numbers make the strongest case

Five sectors where the state's own data — not our sales pitch — makes the argument for investing here.

Information Technology Global Capability Centres Tourism Healthcare Education
Information Technology

The state that treats IT as core infrastructure

Kerala built its IT campuses decades before "IT hub" became a state government slogan elsewhere, and the export numbers now reflect that head start. This is the deepest bench of built infrastructure and operating companies in the state.

₹1,00,000 Cr Kerala's total IT exports, nearing this milestone statewide Kerala CM public statement, Sept 2025
582 Companies operating out of Infopark Kochi Infopark Kerala, 2025
500+ Companies based at Technopark Trivandrum Technopark Trivandrum, 2025
72,000 IT professionals employed across Infopark Kochi alone Infopark Kerala, 2025
Global Capability Centres

Built for the next wave of GCCs, not just IT services

Kerala's IT parks already host GCC-style teams for firms like Allianz, EY, and Tata Elxsi, and the state has drafted a dedicated GCC policy to go after this category directly — betting on lower costs and a fast-growing talent pool to compete with Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

120–200 Global Capability Centres targeted in Kerala by 2031 Kerala Vision 2031 / Industries Dept. roadmap
2 Lakh GCC jobs targeted in Kerala by 2031 Kerala Vision 2031
172% Growth in Kerala's professional talent pool over five years LinkedIn Talent Insights, reported 2025
29,583 Engineering graduates registered as job-seekers with Kerala's Directorate of Employment Kerala Economic Review, 2025
Tourism

A destination still growing past its own pre-pandemic peak

Kerala's tourism industry has recovered past pre-pandemic levels and is now leaning into a higher-margin segment: wellness and medical tourism built on Ayurveda, which is growing faster than tourism overall.

7.4 Lakh Foreign tourist arrivals in 2024, up from 6.49 lakh in 2023 Kerala Tourism Department
₹13,500 Cr Revenue from Ayurveda-based medical value tourism in 2024 Kerala tourism industry data, 2024
16% Annual growth rate (CAGR) of Kerala's medical value tourism sector Kerala tourism industry data, 2024
60–70% Of foreign visitors choose an Ayurvedic treatment or wellness programme Kerala Tourism Department, 2024
94 Ministry of Tourism-classified 5-star hotels in Kerala — more than any other Indian state Dataful/Factly, citing Ministry of Tourism, March 2025
Healthcare

Health outcomes that outperform far wealthier states

Kerala's healthcare system consistently produces outcomes closer to a developed economy than an Indian state average, and the government is actively backing that system with fresh capital rather than resting on the reputation.

< 4 Neonatal mortality rate per 1,000 live births, versus a national average of 18 Kerala Health Department, SRS 2023
80 Yrs Female life expectancy at birth, among the highest in India Demographic estimates, 2023
₹10,431 Cr Allocated to healthcare in Kerala's 2025–26 state budget Kerala State Budget, 2025–26
₹2,424 Cr World Bank-backed loan for the Kerala Health System Improvement Program Govt. of Kerala, Feb 2025
Education

A talent pipeline that starts before higher education

Kerala's education advantage isn't just its literacy rate — it's a school system with almost no dropout, backed by a dedicated skilling mission that feeds directly into the state's IT and services workforce.

#1 Rank among large states on NITI Aayog's School Education Quality Index NITI Aayog SEQI
0.11% School dropout rate — among the lowest of any Indian state UDISE+, Ministry of Education, 2019–20
2.5 Lakh+ Students trained through ASAP Kerala's skilling centres ASAP Kerala
23 Universities across the state, including institutions of national importance UGC / Kerala Higher Education Dept.