Kerala

Kerala is proud of its reputation as one of India’s most independent states, pursuing a course quite different from that laid out by the central government. It has nurtured a leftist economic model that has brought stellar human development indicators but has failed to provide enough jobs, leading millions of residents to seek work in the Gulf over the past generation. Kerala is now seeking to create jobs at home, with a strong emphasis on making itself an IT and start-up hub.

State Summary

  • Size
    15,005 sq. miles
  • Population
    33.4 million
  • State GDP
    $61.25 billion (USD)
  • Legislative Assembly Seats
    140
  • Rajya Sabha Seats
    9
  • Lok Sabha Seats
    20
  • Party Affiliation
    Left Democratic Front (LDF)
Houseboats in Alleppey, Kerala. (Saad Faruque, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)
Fertilizing a rice paddy in Kerala.

Left: Houseboats in Alleppey, Kerala. (Saad Faruque, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

Houseboats in Alleppey, Kerala. (Saad Faruque, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

Right: Fertilizing a rice paddy in Kerala.

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