Kerala shifts startup focus to scaling companies

Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said the state would shift its startup policy from expanding the number of companies to helping existing ventures grow, attract funding and compete in global markets. Speaking at the opening of Huddle Global 2026 in Kovalam, he described the next phase as a scale-up mission focused on quality and commercial success.

Satheesan said Kerala aimed to nurture more than 100 startups with annual revenue exceeding ₹100 crore each. He said the state’s ecosystem had grown to about 9,200 startups employing more than 76,000 people. Those figures describe the existing ecosystem, not results of the new plans.

The government plans to establish 10 research-driven incubators through the Translational Research and Innovation Centre-Kerala, or TRICK, according to Satheesan. He said the incubators would strengthen support for companies developing technology, while the state also intended to expand innovation grants, research and development support and seed financing.

Satheesan said a consortium involving the Kerala Financial Corporation, the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation and banking or investment partners would help startups obtain funding to...