Government committed to backing social startups, women entrepreneurs: Minister PK Kunhalikutty

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The Kerala government is committed to supporting social startups and women entrepreneurs with innovative ideas that address societal challenges, said PK Kunhalikutty, Minister for Industries and Commerce, AI and Startups.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Social Entrepreneurship Conclave organised by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) as part of the state government’s priority 100-day programme. He said Keralam has significant potential for the growth of social enterprises.

With the Vizhinjam International Seaport opening up easier access to global markets, local enterprises have new opportunities to reach international customers. Taking traditional handloom products to overseas markets and developing simple, locally designed technologies to tackle pollution in water bodies could positively impact the lives of large sections of society, the Minister said.

He cited bamboo-based value-added products and solid waste management as areas with considerable potential for startups. The government aims to promote practical and technology-driven ventures that benefit disadvantaged communities, particularly those led by women.

Kunhalikutty expressed hope that the conclave would generate viable ideas and assured participants that the government would support their implementation.

“I assure you that the government will back and support the ideas emerging from this conclave and help take them towards implementation,” he said.

Bindhu Krishna, Minister for Women and Child Development, launched the KSUM Women Startup Cell at the conclave and unveiled the revised Women Startup Handbook.

She said the current UDF government was committed to supporting startups and ensuring that promising ideas emerging from the conclave received the necessary backing. She said the initiative would help build a state that is both employer-friendly and employee-friendly.

The conclave also saw the launch of KSUM’s Social Entrepreneurship Programme, Patent Facilitation Centre and the first edition of the Startup Literacy Campaign.

The Social Entrepreneurship Programme aims to help social enterprises overcome financial and growth challenges through funding, mentorship, market access, branding and other forms of assistance.

The Women Startup Cell has been established to address the under-representation of women-led startups in Kerala. It will provide guidance on technology entrepreneurship, financial assistance, branding, marketing and investor connections to help women entrepreneurs develop their ideas into viable businesses.

In his welcome address, Anoop Ambika, CEO of Kerala Startup Mission, said the organisation aimed to support not only technology-driven products but also socially responsible ideas and ventures.

Alongside financial assistance, KSUM would offer guidance to traditional entrepreneurs seeking to create social change and those working in areas such as indigenous product manufacturing, forest produce and the collection of household resources. He said the mission also hoped to encourage more women to enter technology entrepreneurship.

Ambika emphasised that startups should not be viewed solely through the lens of technical fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and machine learning.

Seeram Sambasiva Rao, Special Secretary in the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, stressed the need to promote social enterprises in Kerala. He said the state needed to develop unicorn startups and encouraged participants to present their social enterprise ideas at the conclave. He also highlighted the need for programmes that promote patent filing and support deep-tech startups.

Sreedhar Radhakrishnan, member of the Kerala State Planning Board, spoke on “Unlocking the Social Entrepreneurship Programme and Its Impact in Kerala”.

Recalling the challenges aspiring entrepreneurs faced in the past, he said a lack of institutional support had prevented many ideas from taking off. The situation had since changed, he added.

Nisha Jose delivered a talk on “Entrepreneurship for Social Change”, describing social entrepreneurship as a form of patriotism. Citing an example from Kenya, she explained how sanitation projects supported by non-governmental organisations had not only addressed inadequate toilets but also generated revenue by converting waste into manure and cattle feed.

The conclave was organised to promote and empower innovative and sustainable social enterprises in Kerala. Participants included, or were invited from, MSMEs, social enterprises, startups, women-led businesses, government departments, Kudumbashree, local self-government institutions, investors and student entrepreneurs.