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
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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)
Climate Change
Subsectors
Recent Articles
Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission proposes changes to the draft Kerala Electricity Supply (Fifth Amendment) Code, 2024
Posted on January 24, 2024Haryana releases the State Action Plan to tackle air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. The plan focuses on transitioning the state’s bus fleet to cleaner alternatives, including electric, CNG, and BS-VI diesel buses.
Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission approves submission by the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL) to raise the power tariff in the state by $0.002 per unit
Posted on November 8, 2023Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission approves submission by the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL) to raise the power tariff in the state by $0.002 per unit. The tariff will be implemented retrospectively from November 1, and will not be applicable for Below Poverty Line (BPL) domestic consumers.
Kerala constitutes the Kerala State Climate Change Adaptation Mission (KSCCAM)
Posted on August 16, 2023Kerala constitutes the Kerala State Climate Change Adaptation Mission (KSCCAM) aimed at assessing the risks resulting from climate change and monitoring the mitigation activities.
Kerala launches the Climate Resilience and Energy Efficiency in Agriculture (CREEA) program
Posted on August 2, 2023Kerala launches the Climate Resilience and Energy Efficiency in Agriculture (CREEA) program aimed to address and tackle the impact of the climate crisis on the state’s agriculture sector.
Energy
India faces a complex energy challenge: it needs cheap and abundant energy to power high economic growth and lift its citizens into the middle class. But it also hopes to keep its commitments to the U.N. Climate Change Convention and achieve energy independence. India’s states have the resources to generate the energy India needs, but they take different approaches to fostering the growth of the industry. This section allows you to explore energy news from India’s states and offers the Wadhwani Chair’s analysis of India’s energy sector.
Subsectors
Coal • Energy Efficiency • Energy-related Transportation • Nuclear • Oil and Gas • Power & Renewable Energy • Power • Renewables •Recent Articles
Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission approves submission by the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL) to raise the power tariff in the state by $0.002 per unit
Posted on November 8, 2023Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission approves submission by the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL) to raise the power tariff in the state by $0.002 per unit. The tariff will be implemented retrospectively from November 1, and will not be applicable for Below Poverty Line (BPL) domestic consumers.
Kerala Electricity Regulatory Commission announces new electricity tariffs
Posted on June 7, 2023Kerala Electricity Regulatory Commission announces new electricity tariffs in the state. Starting June 01, electricity rates will go up by $0.0023 per unit. The increase of $0.0023 includes a $0.0012 fuel surcharge and $0.0010.
Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) submits a proposal to the Kerala Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC)
Posted on May 17, 2023Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) submits a proposal to the Kerala Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) for introducing a green energy tariff for consumers who wish to switch over to green energy. KSEB has proposed an additional $0.03/kWh premium green tariff over the existing retail tariff and all other charges as approved by the commission. The proposal comes after KERC’s directive to KSEB on the same.
Ministry of Power releases the 2021-22 State Energy Efficiency Index
Posted on April 19, 2023Ministry of Power releases the 2021-22 State Energy Efficiency Index with Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, and Telangana topping the rankings. The index has various parameters to assess state-level energy efficiency initiatives.
Related National Goals
U.S.–India Energy Cooperation Project Tracker — There is currently no data available for Kerala. (updated July 3, 2019)
Solar Performance Tracker — Kerala reaches 688.35MW (updated March 31, 2021)
Wind Performance Tracker — Kerala achieves 62.5MW (updated March 30, 2021)
Finance
Finance
Subsectors
Recent Articles
Kerala Financial Corporation (KFC) launches the Kerala MSME Bill Discounting Platform aiming to ensure liquidity to MSMEs by discounting their outstanding bills
Posted on November 15, 2023Kerala Financial Corporation (KFC) launches the Kerala MSME Bill Discounting Platform aiming to ensure liquidity to MSMEs by discounting their outstanding bills.
Health
While India’s healthcare system is expansive in terms of the number of beneficiaries covered, inequalities in access to high-quality yet affordable care continue to plague delivery systems and push citizens towards the more unregulated private sector. Similarly, while India’s National Health Policy of 2017 promises to reform this system, the responsibility to institute those reforms falls to the states who each have their own unique challenges and opportunities to meet the healthcare needs of their people. This section allows you to explore emerging healthcare policies and news covering new initiatives from India’s states and offers the Wadhwani Chair’s analysis of India’s healthcare sector.
Recent Articles
Kerala notifies the Kerala Public Health Act 2023
Posted on December 13, 2023Kerala notifies the Kerala Public Health Act 2023, aimed at guiding public health activities in the state. The new act unifies the provisions in the Madras Public Health Act, 1939 and the Travancore-Cochin Public Health Act, 1955.
Kerala amends the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence & Damage to Property) Act, 2012, with the objective of creating safer environments for doctors and medical professionals in the state
Posted on May 24, 2023Kerala amends the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence & Damage to Property) Act, 2012, with the objective of creating safer environments for doctors and medical professionals in the state.
Kerala launches a scheme to address the declining female birth rate under the central government’s Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
Posted on May 10, 2023Kerala launches a scheme to address the declining female birth rate under the central government’s Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY). According to the scheme, the state will provde $73.4 to families if the second newly born child is a girl.
Industrial Policy and Business Regulations
Subsectors
Recent Articles
Kerala scraps the Kerala Tourism Conservation and Preservation of Areas Act 2005
Posted on December 27, 2023Kerala scraps the Kerala Tourism Conservation and Preservation of Areas Act 2005 to promote the tourism industry in the state. The act was formulated to regulate unauthorised constructions and to give shape to holistic developmental projects in the tourism sector in the state.
Kerala announces the formation of Kerala Agro Business Company (KABCO)
Posted on December 11, 2023Kerala announces the formation of Kerala Agro Business Company (KABCO) to promote the marketing of agricultural products. KABCO will be constituted in a public-private partnership (PPP) model and will promote processing and value addition of agricultural produce and the formation of agri-parks and fruit parks in the state.
Kerala releases the Draft Information Technology Policy 2023
Posted on November 29, 2023Kerala releases the Draft Information Technology Policy 2023 aiming to provide incentives to private land developers and investors who prioritise hiring candidates from the state. According to the draft policy, investors offering 50 percent of jobs to state residents will receive special incentives, based on investments ranging from $12 million to over $120 million, with minimum direct employment generation from 1,000 to 5,000.
Kerala launches the Invest Kerala web portal and the Kerala Responsible Industry Incentive Scheme portal
Posted on November 15, 2023Kerala launches the Invest Kerala web portal and the Kerala Responsible Industry Incentive Scheme portal to streamline investment processes and promote responsible industrial practices
Infrastructure and Governance
Subsectors
Recent Articles
Kerala launches the K-SMART (Kerala Solutions for Managing Administrative Reformation and Transformation) system
Posted on January 10, 2024Kerala launches the K-SMART (Kerala Solutions for Managing Administrative Reformation and Transformation) system, aimed to bring all services of the three-tier local self-government institutions on a unified digital platform.
Kerala sets up the Kerala urban policy commission
Posted on December 27, 2023Kerala sets up the Kerala urban policy commission aimed at understanding the possibilities and challenges for the future of urbanization in the state.The commission has been set up as per the declaration made in the state budget.
Kerala amends the Private Industrial Estate (PIE) scheme
Posted on August 23, 2023Kerala amends the Private Industrial Estate (PIE) scheme to incentivize individual developers to establish industrial parks in the state. Under the scheme, developers will receive a financial grant of $0.36 million for constructing essential infrastructure like roads, electricity, and water supply within industrial estates.
Kerala approves the new Kerala Liquor Policy 2023-2024
Posted on August 2, 2023Kerala approves the new Kerala Liquor Policy 2023-2024. The policy focuses on promoting the export of foreign liquor from Kerala, through provisions such as amendments to the existing export fees.
Land & Labor Laws
Subsectors
Recent Articles
Kerala approves rules for allocating title deeds and for simplifying transfer of land ownership in industrial estates
Posted on December 13, 2023Kerala approves rules for allocating title deeds and for simplifying transfer of land ownership in industrial estates. The rules aim to remove the existing hurdles in transfer of ownership and starting new enterprises instead of the originally designated industrial enterprises.
Kerala passes the Kerala Government Land Assignment (Amendment) Bill, 2023
Posted on September 20, 2023Kerala passes the Kerala Government Land Assignment (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which enables the sanctioning of constructions and related activities on title land. The amendment is aimed at regularising constructions carried out by common people in contravention of those conditions and to enable the use of lands for other purposes.
Kerala drafts the Domestic Workers (Regulation and Welfare) Act
Posted on May 31, 2023Kerala drafts the Domestic Workers (Regulation and Welfare) Act, to guarantee job security for domestic care workers and home nurses in the state. The government aims to ensure minimum wages and pensions for such workers in the state.
Kerala gives in principle approval for its ‘Sustainable Urban Reconstruction Scheme’ in Kochi
Posted on August 17, 2022
Water & Sanitation
Subsectors
Recent Articles
Kerala adopts a Water Budget with an aim to resolve the water scarcity
Posted on April 26, 2023Kerala adopts a Water Budget with an aim to resolve the water scarcity in the state. The first phase of the project will cover 94 grama panchayats in 15 block panchayats.
The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) approves a meter policy to govern all aspects of the metering of water use through KWA connections
Posted on March 24, 2021