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Kerala: Looking forward to the future in right earnest

Kerala, no doubt, is a land of celebrations. Or just look at the number of festivals which are being celebrated with such amazing grandeur by all. It could signify the mindset of the people of the state, in general. The people in the state are generally pious, proud about their roots, conservative and without doubt, intelligent. This could be the precise reason for the world looking to this tiny land which is celebrating fifty glorious years of its existence now, with great interest and huge expectations. But are we all aware about this, even when we live here? Do we celebrate life, the way we possibly can? Are we making use of the huge resources that we have to the fullest possible levels?

Well, it's tough to find exact answers for the questions, but the general opinion that people from the various sectors have is that the state has not done bad after all. Though there are still chances for further improvement, Kerala has been setting standards in several areas of development.

Many feel that the state has done quite well considering the developments in the various segments, in finding more avenues for the qualified professionals from the state and not to forget about the standard of life of the people who live here, which has evidently influenced the aspirations of those who would love to live here.

According to entrepreneur K.N.Marzooq, the brightest thing that the state has to offer now is "manpower". He adds that it has reached such levels that "man power or in simple terms, competent brains, could easily be regarded as the greatest export the state has to offer. He also feels that the greatest change in the development process in the last fifty odd years in the state could be the soaring consumer culture. "With our limited infrastructure, the focus on agriculture and industries has faded away, in a big way," says Marzooq. He believes that with the new projects all set to happen soon, there could be great changes in the mindsets of the Malayalis. "Kerala has been known for its thrust on agriculture all along and the difference in focus that is being witnessed now has been visible for the last 20 to 25 years. There was no industrial culture as such and as a result the natives were always on the look out for jobs outside the state. However there has been a visible change in the scenario for some time now and it is something heartening. Now, new entrepreneurs are being welcomed here and business is seen as a good profession, something of a status symbol rather. In the place of family businesses, young and vibrant professionals have made their marks. With the developments in IT and with the coming of more industries, things are changing in an amazing way," analyses Azeez, CEO of Skyline Builders.

He points out three main reasons for the change in the development process in the state. "If the IT factor has kick-started the development process as a whole, globalisation has opened up new vistas. The third factor could be the hike in retailing segment. There is enough opportunity for development and Kerala's relevance as a consumer state has gone up in the process," says Azeez.

Santosh Nair, Chief Marketing Officer of Trinity thinks that with lots of corporates looking forward to the state considering the high value of the manpower here, there has been a significant change in the standard of living. "The influence of a cosmopolitan lifestyle, which has been visible in most of the metros in the country, is slowly finding its way into the state as well. The salary levels of the people have gone up. Figures which would have raised the eyebrows some years back are no longer regarded as impossible in the new economic order," says he.

He feels that the pace of development will be doubled when compared to the last fifty years, in the state. "If the projected developments in the IT sector and some other areas are to happen in right earnest, well, Kerala is going to make it fabulous in the coming years," smiles he.

Noted businessman Deepak Aswani of Presteege Lachmandas Group, Kochi feels that the change in attitude of the bureaucracy could really speed up the whole process. "Of course, Kerala is still great for the consumers in the state but developments are synonymous with more industries and investment," says he.

He cites the example of the fashion scene in the state. "It's a fact that Keralites are still pretty conservative considering the lifestyles. Or, how can you explain it when they dress in style and get adjusted to the latest trends with remarkable ease, once they go out of the state?" asks Aswani.

Aswani feels that one of the main aspects that will emerge if the developments are happening in right earnest is the evening life. If the IT companies come here and establish in a big way, the young professionals will work late into the nights and there is certainly going to be a change in the concept of evening life, says he.

"The influence of the television has been a crucial factor for the change in lifestyle trends and attitudes of a large section of the people in Kerala, to a certain extent. If the ethos of the Malayalis was simple earlier, this has changed considerably now. Or, just have a look at the opulence of the weddings happening in the state now," says Philip, vice president of Kurian Abraham Pvt. Ltd.

Young professionals from Kerala has been going outside and understanding the culture in the rest of the world. It should have an impact on the psyche of the society as a whole. Agree? "Of course, there is a change but the obvious question is that do we need to be satisfied with this. Still, we should keep in mind that we are fighting against some set mindsets which are some decades old. So, no wonder if it takes time," says Philip. He feels that with a more disciplined educational structure, especially in English education, there could be lot of difference.

Almost everyone agrees that the real estate boom that is being witnessed in the last decade or so is for real. "The land is scarce and is obviously a very safe investment option. It could be the reason for the huge inflation in the real estate segment," opines Aswani. Many feel that the real estate development the state is witnessing can be part of the whole round surge in the sector across the country. They think that along with IT, real estate and tourism, several niche segments are turning out to be crucial factors in spearheading the development process of the state. Things are going to be still brighter for Kerala, the Malayalis say in chorus, with great hopes in their minds.

<11,42p,0p>Vijay George

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