(From left) Former CII (Kerala) chairman V.K. Mathews, CII (Kerala) chairman G. Krishna Kumar and IT Parks CEO Hrishikesh Nair at the Malabar IT Conclave in Kozhikode on Thursday. | Photo Credit: S_RAMESHKURUP;S_RAMESHKURUP - more-in Technocrats and industry leaders at an IT summit here on Thursday called for building strong infrastructure, bettering regional connectivity and raising the profile of Kozhikode to make Malabar the next IT destination in the State. “The issue with Kozhikode is that we are not accessible. We all know about the greatness of this place. But how many industrialists of the world know this? Kozhikode should brand itself,” said V.K. Mathews, executive chairman of IBS Software Services and former chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Kerala, who was one of the key speakers at the Malabar IT Conclave organised by the CCI. Rooting for the revival of the seaplane project, Mr. Mathews said the previous government had tried to initiate the project. “But the project failed to take off following objection from fishermen. Certainly the voice of the fishermen should be considered. The project will not hinder fishing activities as only 500 metres of water is required to operate seaplane service. People can connect to Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode or Kochi,” he said. Kozhikode could be part of the digital revolution only if the State government provided support for the growth of IT companies. Kerala had not been able to convert the growth potentialities into economic output though the State had received FDI share of $1.3 billion for the last 50 years. Pointing out that the future of jobs were changing, Mr. Mathews said 30% of work would be taken over by artificial intelligence and robotics. About 65% of these job losses would be in China, India, the U.S. and Japan. Taking part in the deliberations, IT Parks CEO Hrishikesh Nair suggested that Kozhikode could focus on the Internet of Things (IoT). The IT industry looked promising in Kerala in spite of several negative factors such as Brexit and visa policies in the U.S., he added.

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