Congress leader and Member of Parliament Dr. Shashi Tharoor showered praises on Kerala for its strides in economic development. Kerala stands out as a model of economic innovation and sustainable growth, he said, while delivering 'The India Forward Talk Series' organized by the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday.

“Kerala, with its strong historical foundation and strategic economic initiatives, has emerged as a dynamic center for startups, driving significant contributions to India's broader economic transformation.This growth is exemplified by the remarkable progress of Kerala's startup ecosystem, which has experienced impressive valuations and rapid scaling, positioning the state as a key player in india's economic ascent and a recognized leader in fostering entrepreneurial excellence", the Congress leader said.

He said in 2023 startups in Kerala raised $33.2 million, marking a 15% increase from the previous year, with seed-stage funding up by 40%. “The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has been at the forefront of this expansion, working to establish Kerala as a global hub for Deep Tech innovation. A testament to this vision is the $180 million emerging technology hub being developed at Technocity, Trivandrum”, he added.

^{REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE | WIKI COMMONS}

The state also ranked highly in the 2024 Global Startup Ecosystem Report, standing out for its affordable tech talent and performance, he said. "With such dynamic growth, Kerala is well-positioned to continue leading India's tech and entrepreneurial transformation, contributing to the nation's larger vision of becoming a global economic powerhouse by fostering innovation, generating employment, and attracting investment across key sectors", Tharoor said.

No to 90 hour work week:

Dr. Tharoor has disapproved of suggestions for a 90-hour work week in the country. Improving efficiency and quality of the work is more important than a hike in working hours, he said during the interactive session after his talk. It may be recalled that Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy and many others have recently called for a sharp increase in working hours in the country. Dr. Tharoor pointed out that in countries like Denmark, work time is 35 hours a week.

Manufacturing holds the key: Earlier, Dr. Tharoor said India needed to make rapid progress to emerge as the global manufacturing hub and to resolve jobless growth.

“ We have the talent, the vision, and the capacity to become the world's manufacturing hub, especially as global supply chains increasingly look for alternatives to China in a 'China+1' strategy. However, despite this immense potential, the growth of manufacturing in India has been stifled by systemic challenges that hold us back from fully seizing this opportunity”, he said.

Tharoor mentioned that countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia are making every effort to become key players in the China+1 strategy.

^{DR. SHASHI THAROOR M P | PHOTO: FACEBOOK}
Outdated labor laws, bureaucratic hurdles, lack of quality infrastructure, and poor skill development are some of the issues that need to be addressed to overcome the deficiencies facing the country, he said.

Jobless Growth:

"While the Modi government has presided over economic growth, its record on job creation reveals a disquieting paradox: a growing economy that has struggled to produce sufficient opportunities for its labor force", Tharoor said. He also pointed out that “approximately 40% of workers remain tied to agriculture—a sector increasingly vulnerable to climate change—while just 20% are employed in manufacturing or business services such as IT. This imbalance underscores the conundrum of “jobless growth,” a critique the opposition has seized upon with vigor”, he said.