States » SouthPosted at: Sep 30 2026 6:37PM


Kerala committed to backing social startups, women entrepreneurs: Kunhalikutty

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 30 (UNI) Kerala is committed to supporting social startups and women entrepreneurs with innovative ideas aimed at addressing societal challenges, Industries and Commerce, AI and Startups Minister P K Kunhalikutty said on Wednesday.
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 Kerala had significant potential for the growth of social enterprises.
The opening of the Vizhinjam International Seaport had created easier access to global markets, providing local enterprises with new opportunities to reach international customers, he said.
Traditional handloom products could be taken to overseas markets, while simple, locally developed technologies could be used to tackle issues such as pollution in water bodies and improve the lives of large sections of society, the Minister said.
He identified bamboo-based value-added products and solid waste management as areas with considerable potential for startups and said the government aimed to promote practical, technology-driven ventures benefiting disadvantaged communities, particularly those led by women.
"I assure you that the government will back and support the ideas emerging from this conclave and help take them towards implementation," Kunhalikutty said.
Women and Child Development Minister Bindu Krishna launched the KSUM Women Startup Cell and unveiled the revised Women Startup Handbook at the conclave.
She said the government was committed to supporting startups and ensuring that promising ideas emerging from the conclave received the necessary backing. Such initiatives would contribute to creating a state that was both employer-friendly and employee-friendly, she said.
The conclave also witnessed the launch of KSUM's Social Entrepreneurship Programme, Patent Facilitation Centre and the first edition of the Startup Literacy Campaign.
The Social Entrepreneurship Programme is aimed at helping 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 in technology entrepreneurship, financial assistance, branding, marketing and investor connections to help women entrepreneurs transform their ideas into viable businesses.
KSUM CEO Anoop Ambika, in his welcome address, said the organisation aimed to support not only technology-driven products but also socially responsible ideas and ventures.
Along with financial assistance, KSUM would provide guidance to traditional entrepreneurs seeking to create social change and those engaged in indigenous product manufacturing, forest produce and collection of household resources, he said.
Ambika said the mission also sought to encourage more women to enter technology entrepreneurship and stressed that startups should not be viewed solely through the prism of artificial intelligence, blockchain and machine learning.
Special Secretary in the Department of Electronics and Information Technology Seeram Sambasiva Rao 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 encouraging patent filing and supporting deep-tech startups.
Kerala State Planning Board member Sreedhar Radhakrishnan spoke on "Unlocking the Social Entrepreneurship Programme and Its Impact in Kerala".
Recalling the challenges faced by aspiring entrepreneurs in the past, he said the lack of institutional support had prevented many promising ideas from taking off. The situation had changed considerably with the emergence of a stronger support ecosystem, he said.
Nisha Jose, speaking on "Entrepreneurship for Social Change", described social entrepreneurship as a form of patriotism. Citing a sanitation initiative in Kenya, she explained how projects supported by non-governmental organisations had addressed inadequate toilet facilities while also generating 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 representatives of MSMEs, social enterprises, startups, women-led businesses, government departments, Kudumbashree, local self-government institutions, investors and student entrepreneurs.
UNI DS
Tags: #Kerala committed to backing social startups# women entrepreneurs: Kunhalikutty
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