1. 32 State Owned Enterprises turn profitable, total profit Rs.232 crores
2. Launch of Kerala Soaps at Kozhikode
3. Reopening of Thiruvananthapuram Spinning Mills at Balaramapuram
4. Malabar Spinning Mills (Thiruvannur Cotton Mills) reopening and modernisation
5. KEL - Edarikode Unit reopening
6. Successful tie-ups with Navaratna Central PSUs: TELK – NTPC, KEL – BHEL and GoK – Indian Railways, SCL – SAIL

The first PPP Minor Port and ICD Project in Kerala, the Kottayam Port and Container Terminal, was inaugurated on 17th August 2009. This is also India’s first port (notified under Indian Ports Act) and an Inland Container Depot (ICD) to utilise inland waterway with Customs notified area for Exports & Imports. The Kottayam Port and Container Terminal is a first of its kind project of Public Private Partnership under the ASIDE scheme of Government of India promoted by South Indian Chamber Of Commerce and Industry and KINFRA. The total outlay of the project is Rs. 9.56 crores.

BEML, a Mini Ratna PSU under the Defence Ministry is setting up a manufacturing unit at Sathyanathapalam in Kanjikode. The foundation stone for this unit was laid on January 18, 2009. The Bangalore based BEML, formerly Bharat Earth Movers Limited, is planning a unit for manufacturing defence products and rail parts in 400 acres of land on long term lease from Kinfra. The State Government has agreed to hand over another 600 acres for the expansion process. The initial investment by the Central Government will be Rs.255 crores. In the first phase, the unit aims to employ around 500 people directly and manifold indirectly, with an expected turnover of about Rs.300 crores in the third year of operation.

The Kerala Electrical & Allied Engineering Co. Ltd. (KEL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on February 03, 2009 to form a Joint Venture. This MoU envisages de-linking of the Kasaragod unit of KEL to form a separate company. An initial investment of about Rs.25 Crores is expected from BHEL in this JV.  There will take a joint valuation of the Kasaragod unit by both the companies for separating the unit into a different legal entity, of which majority shares will be acquired by BHEL. In the last two and a half years, the government could turn around the loss making KEL into a profit-making unit.

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the defence Navratna Public Sector Undertaking is setting up its first unit in Kerala. The foundation stone for a Product Support Centre of BEL was laid on August 2008 at Kochi. The new product support centre of BEL will address the requirements of the Indian Navy, National Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) of DRDO, Kochi Shipyard and BEL's outsourcing partner, M/s Keltron.  This centre will come up on a 6.2 acre land at the Hi-tech Industrial Park developed by Kinfra at Kalamassery, near HMT taken on a 90 year lease. The Government of India under the Ministry of Defence established Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) at Bangalore in 1954 to meet the specialised electronic needs of the Indian defence services.

The foundation stone for a factory of the new public sector enterprise, Kerala Soaps Limited (KSL) at Vellayil near Kozhikode was laid on January 03, 2009. KSL will be a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Kerala State Industrial Enterprises (KSIE) and will replace the closed down Kerala Soaps and Oils Limited (KSOL). KSL will retain the popular brand names of KSOL like Vep, Thrill, Kairali and Kerala Sandal. KSL will utilise the two acre land and factory of KSOL at Vellayil. In the first phase, KSL will produce soap noodles, a raw material for making soap. The company hopes to hit the market by November this year. KSL is targeting a production of 12,000 tonnes of soap noodle. The new entity estimated to cost Rs.9.7 crores will provide direct jobs to 100 persons and indirect jobs to nearly 300 persons.

The foundation-stone for the BrahMos Missile Integration Complex at the BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd. (BATL) was laid on February 10, 2009. BATL is the erstwhile State PSU Kerala High Tech Industries Limited (Keltec) which BrahMos took over a year back. The new facility is the Second Phase being set up at a cost of Rs.75 crore. This will enable the integration of all but the booster and the warhead of the BrahMos missile system at the BATL unit here. The company plans to invest about Rs.1,000 crores in the next five years for its third phase expansion.

The Government of Kerala signed an agreement with the Ministry of Railways on February 27, 2009 to set up a joint venture unit called Kerala Rail Component Limited at Chertalla in Allapuzha District. The JV will have an initial investment of Rs.100 crores with the Railways having 51 percent share and the balance with the State Government. This unit will come up at the premises of the loss making Autokast Limited. KRCL will have the distinction of being the first railway production unit in the state. This is also the first JV of Indian Railways with any state government.

The foundation stone for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s first unit in Kerala was laid on August 23, 2008 at the Kinfra Park at Seethangoli in Kasaragod district. The Hyderabad based Avionics Division of HAL is setting up a strategic electronics manufacturing factory here. HAL will invest Rs.200 crores in this venture to be built on 200 acres land leased from Kinfra and the unit is expected to be operational in the third quarter of 2009-10. This is the second defence production unit in Kerala after Brahmos.

As the LDF Government in Kerala completes its second year in office, the Ministry of Industries & Commerce is celebrating two years of industrial growth in the state. The industrial sector saw some successful initiatives this year. The government’s policy of tie-ups with Central Public Sector Undertakings is paying off. The State public sector undertakings are on a comeback trail with 27 of the 42 public sector units earning profits in 2007 - 2008. The traditional sector also have seen a rejuvenation in this period and there has been a quantum jump in the performance of the Small Scale and Micro Enterprises. Overall the ministry has been successful in creating more job opportunities in the state.

Ever since the new government took charge in 2006, there has been a sea change in the attitude and approach of the Kerala Government towards big investors. The Ministry of Industries and Commerce under the able guidance of Shri. Elamaram Kareem has been successful in converting the state into a preferred destination. The investor friendly policies and initiatives have instilled confidence among Investors and Entrepreneurs. The pro-active Industrial and Commercial Policy of 2007 has started yielding results. The proposed investments from major industrial houses to set up projects in Kerala are in excess of Rs.10,000 crores. As this government enters its third year, we list out some of the achievements of the Ministry of Industries and Commerce.

• Integrated efforts to attract private investments
• Modernisation and expansion of Public Sector Undertakings
• InKel to develop infrastructure
• Stringent efforts to curb corruption
• Kerala Minerals and Materials Limited starts building the first of its kind, Titanium Sponge Plant. 
• Spices Park at Idduki
• Rubber Industries Park at Ranni in collaboration with the Rubber Board
• Malabar Spinning mill opened; Thiruvananthapuram Spinning Mill to be opened soon
• Mineral Sand mining to be done by the Public Sector only
• Prospects in the Handloom Sector brighten up with more job opportunities; Rebate arrears completely paid up
• Revival and diversification of Dinesh Beedi initiated
• Bamboo Corporation starts manufacturing Flattened Bamboo boards