Why is this important? because kerala has been the byword for a socialist sucess story
to watch as the CPI-M the communisty party gives concessions to capitalism and other things is fascinating.
"From the 28th position in the Ease of Doing Business rankings around 2019, Kerala rose to be among the top states under the ‘fast mover’ category last year, reflecting the result of these reforms."
in fact congress is attacking the CPI-M from the left
On Monday at a rally in Pathanamthitta district—where the Sabarimala Temple is located—Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi used his microphone as a prop to critique the lack of local manufacturing, noting that it was “made in China”. He questioned how youngsters from Kerala are expected to get jobs if nothing is made locally, attacking the purported pro-corporate stance of CM Vijayan.
“And how are we ever going to make things in Kerala if only one or two companies control the future of this Kerala? Your chief minister and the prime minister are handing this country over to Adani and Ambani,” Gandhi remarked.
However, it was the Oommen Chandy-led Congress and UDF government that had signed the Vizhinjam port deal with Adani in 2015. Incidentally, Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, has publicly said he had convinced Adani to bid for the project during a flight between New York and Delhi.
he's won the confidence of buisness men as well but of course Debt is an issue.
At the end of 2026-27, the state’s outstanding debt is estimated to be 33.4 percent of GSDP, marginally lower than the revised estimate for 2025-26 (34.2 percent of GSDP).
The fiscal deficit is estimated to reach 3.40 percent of GSDP (Rs 55,419.5 crore) while revenue deficit for 2026–27 is projected at 2.12 percent of GSDP (Rs 34,586.66 crore).
“During 2024-25, the debt was Rs 4,35,314 crore. The debt amount for the year 2025-26 reported in this budget is Rs 4,88,910 crore. If the debt had doubled, it would have reached at least Rs 5,93,802 crore (The debt was Rs 2,96,901 crore when this government assumed power). It is evident by any standard criteria that the debt of the state is within the bearable limits,” Balagopal said in his budget speech.
The debt to GSDP ratio is 33.44 percent. But the LDF argues that the debt ratio has been brought down from 38.47 percent since 2021, claiming it to be a major win.
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**Thrissur/Kochi:** In mid-May 2015, Pinarayi Vijayan levelled serious allegations against the then Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy’s United Democratic Front (UDF) government.
[](https://vdo.ai/contact?utm_medium=video&utm_term=theprint.in&utm_source=vdoai_logo)
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo member and then rising star of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), Vijayan accused Chandy of a “real estate scam” in the Vizhinjam Port Project.
Vijayan claimed that land worth Rs 8,000 crore was being transferred to the Adani Group project for Rs 6,000 crore “under the guise of Malayalee development aspirations” and called the deal a “huge conspiracy”.
But Vijayan’s view shifted within just a year. Upon becoming the chief minister in 2016, he faced a critical decision—continue opposing the project at the risk of derailing Kerala’s growth trajectory, or proceed with it.
He chose the latter.
He overrode the objections of his former mentor V. S. Achuthanandan who actively rallied the entire LDF against awarding the contract to Gautam Adani—a figure the Left frequently associated with crony capitalism and closely linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Once a deal is made by the government of Kerala, the word will be kept. This is the message we wanted to give to every investor,” Thomas Isaac, Kerala’s finance minister under Pinarayi Vijayan’s government in 2016-21 and CPI(M) Central Committee member, told ThePrint.
In doing so, Vijayan seized the opportunity to be seen as a reformist, leading Kerala away from the widely held perception of being under the grip of militant trade unionism to embracing private capital.
In the last 10 years as chief minister, Vijayan, now 81, has carefully built and embellished this reformist image, hoping to cash in during the upcoming state elections. Kerala votes on 9 April.
Industrialists and business leaders say the Kerala CM is known for clearing his calendar to meet investors, simplifying approval mechanisms, and giving the message of policy continuity irrespective of the party that signed big-ticket projects.
From the 28th position in the Ease of Doing Business rankings around 2019, Kerala rose to be among the top states under the ‘fast mover’ category last year, reflecting the result of these reforms.
***Also Read:*** [*India’s Silicon Beach: As Bengaluru sputters, a new IT haven is taking shape on Karnataka’s coast*](https://theprint.in/india/indias-silicon-beach-as-bengaluru-sputters-a-new-it-haven-in-taking-shape-on-karnatakas-coast/2859711/)
# An easier commute
For V. Vishnu, an IT company employee whose work involved travelling to other centres of his office in Kerala and outside, operating at the Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram has become a breeze.
The Technopark, Infopark, and other government designated IT hubs have pristine surroundings with maintenance services round the clock.
Operating from the Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram has become a breeze for the IT crowd that would often have to travel out of Kerala | Source: [technopark.in](http://technopark.in)
The airport, Vishnu explained, is just 15 minutes away from the Technopark, and the Kazhakuttam railway station is barely a couple of kilometres away.
In 2017, the Group of Technology Companies (GTech), an IT and Business Process Management industry body, in consultation with the state’s IT department, introduced ‘G-Ride’, a carpooling app to make commuting easier.
“The car-pooling app was meant to incentivise the driver by reducing his costs of fuel while others would benefit from the reduced cost of commuting,” Vishnu told ThePrint, adding that this regulated traffic congestion in the high-density corridors and reduced demand for parking spaces that took up a sizable chunk of the Technopark space.
Driving to Kerala and between its districts feels like traversing through a very big city with rarely any open stretches of road and single-lane traffic. For instance, the distance between Kochi and Thrissur is just about 85 km but takes well over two and a half hours. Similarly, Kochi to Thrivanantapuram is just 201 km but takes over five and a half hours.
But within the cities, commutes are a lot more free-flowing on account of wide roads and strict enforcements against illegal parking.
Additionally, regional transport buses operate directly from technoparks. These services allow employees to commute daily to various parts of the city and to their respective hometowns during weekends, without the delays of entering the city centre.
Martin, who works as an independent brand manager in Kochi, said that the highly qualified who sought jobs in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and other places, now don’t have to move out but retain Kerala as their base.
“Earlier all shops and any semblance of night life ended at 9.30 pm. Now establishments around technoparks operate 24/7. Many cities in Kerala have all the facilities of a big city without the traffic and commute challenges,” he said.
New routes of the Metro will connect the city centre to the Infopark or SmartCity in Kochi as well.
The city design infrastructure has kept pace with the business interests in recent years. This has resulted not just in better opportunities for skilled labour, but also a better quality of life that is felt by people beyond these high-tech campuses.
Infographic: Shruti Naithani | ThePrint
***Also Read:*** [*In poll-bound Kerala, Pinarayi’s ‘no basic awareness’ jibe at Rahul as LDF-UDF trade ‘BJP B team’ barbs*](https://theprint.in/politics/in-poll-bound-kerala-pinarayis-no-basic-awareness-jibe-at-rahul-as-ldf-udf-trade-bjp-b-team-barbs/2889542/)
#
Socialism with Kerala Characteristics?
Many such cases
Capitalism is the beginning, capitalism is the end. Fukuyama Fukuyama Fukuyama.
I love how 90% of socialist states figure out that capitalism is kinda good, actually and it almost always leads to much greater material prosperity.
The other 10% are North Korea.
Rahul Gandhi attacking Vijayan from his left is killing me lol. I saw a clip of a speech where he was trying to claim the the title of being the party of the “Real Left” for Congress.
God help us all.
u/erasmus_phillo