The Kerala government launched a program on Wednesday to address the shortage of land for industrial infrastructure development and to bridge the industry-academic gap by establishing campus industry parks in educational institutions across the state.

Kerala Law and Industries Minister P. Rajeeve inaugurated the State Industries Department’s initiative, describing it as a historic step that would reshape the future of industries in Kerala.

"Already, 80 educational institutions have shown interest in starting campus industry parks, and this year we will grant permission to 25 of them," Rajeeve stated, adding that this number is not fixed and more parks may be approved if they demonstrate exceptional promise.

The industry department, in collaboration with the higher education department in Kerala, conducted a land mapping of educational institutions in the state and found that many have excess land beyond what is required by the governing authorities.

"In Kerala, the non-availability of land and its high cost are obstacles to developing industrial infrastructure. So, we explored ideas to find land and came up with the concept of starting campus industry parks," the minister explained.

Rajeeve noted that the decision was made following a series of deliberations and discussions with various stakeholders.