Davos, Jan 24: Kerala has secured investment commitments worth over Rs 1.17 lakh crore (USD 14 billion) at the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos, Switzerland, with the state government’s high-level delegation successfully showcasing Kerala’s robust and future-ready industrial ecosystem before global business leaders.
The commitments and Expressions of Interest (EoIs) span a wide range of sectors, including renewable energy, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), skill development, financial services, tourism and wellness, medical infrastructure and manufacturing.
Industries Minister P. Rajeeve, who led the five-member Kerala delegation, said the state held extensive discussions and business meetings with several Indian and international company heads during the five-day global summit.
“As Kerala diversifies and scales up across both traditional and new-age sectors, we are proud to announce total investor commitments of Rs 1.17 lakh crore from global investors from the US, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa and other countries,” the Minister said.
Kerala made a strong impression at the January 19–23 WEF meeting, which brought together global business and political leaders to deliberate on major international challenges and opportunities for cooperation.
The delegation highlighted Kerala’s strategic advantages as a preferred investment destination before industry leaders, CEOs and representatives of trade and business promotion agencies.
This marks the second consecutive year that Kerala has been represented by an official delegation at the WEF, reflecting the state government’s sustained engagement with global economic platforms and its focus on strengthening international partnerships.
Apart from the Industries Minister, the delegation included Chief Secretary Dr A. Jayathilak, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries & Commerce) APM Mohammed Hanish, and Managing Director of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) P. Vishnuraj. Leading investors from Kerala also joined the delegation. The Minister invited global business leaders to visit Kerala and explore collaboration opportunities.
A significant share of the investment proposals aligns with Kerala’s emphasis on responsible and sustainable industrial and economic development. The Kerala pavilion at WEF, themed “Kerala – India’s Gateway to Global Investment,” attracted a steady stream of visitors and resonated with the forum’s central theme, “A Spirit of Dialogue,” set against global economic uncertainties and geopolitical challenges.
During one-on-one meetings and deliberations, Minister Rajeeve outlined the state’s forward-looking policy framework, which has helped position Kerala among India’s top-ranked states in Ease of Doing Business.
He said the discussions were constructive and had set in motion a series of partnerships expected to materialise in the near future.
On January 21, the delegation hosted a Kerala Evening at Abraham House, Davos, featuring presentations and panel discussions that highlighted the state’s current strengths and future vision.
The session underscored Kerala’s accessible public health infrastructure, strong and inclusive SME ecosystem, and progressive social framework, with women accounting for 37 per cent of leadership roles across sectors.
Special emphasis was placed on emerging growth areas such as green technology, renewable energy and medical devices manufacturing, positioning Kerala as a hub for sustainable, innovation-driven and knowledge-based investments.
Major EoIs involving investments of Rs 500 crore and above were received from companies including Ramky Infrastructure Ltd (Ecotown development and integrated industrial parks), Resustainability Ltd (solid waste management), Baidyanath Biofuels Pvt Ltd (renewable energy), DPIFS Solutions Pvt Ltd (AI-based traffic systems), ACME Group (battery storage systems), LNK Energy (renewable energy), Sify Technologies (data centres), Delta Energy Solution GmbH & Co KG (energy, hospitality and healthcare), Eco Guard Global AG (ESG-aligned financial services), Greenko Group (energy), Genesis Infrastructure (energy infrastructure), Inox Wind Ltd (wind power), Caneys International, Canada (spices, aerospace and energy) and Saye Invest Caps Advisory Ltd (renewable energy).