Diaspora key to Kerala’s development: Chief Minister

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that Kerala must be re-envisioned as ‘Global Kerala’ by fully integrating the State’s expatriate population into its development process.

Emphasising the need for collective participation in building a ‘new Kerala’, he added both resident and non-resident Keralites played an equally important role in shaping Kerala’s society, culture and future.

Inaugurating the fifth Loka Kerala Sabha here on Friday, he pointed out that India, like China, had one of the world’s largest expatriate populations, and added that meaningful engagement with the diaspora would significantly contribute to national growth. To achieve this goal, practical policy measures would be more effective than symbolic events such as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

Drawing attention to China’s ‘Chunhui Programme’ designed to encourage Chinese talent abroad to return home in order to bolster domestic innovation, the Chief Minister said the return and participation of overseas professionals was crucial in strengthening knowledge-based industries. Similar proposals had emerged at the Loka Kerala Sabha and suggested that diaspora-driven knowledge and innovation projects could be included in Kerala’s 15th Five-Year Plan beginning in 2027–28.

According to him, among the 28 proposals selected from the fourth Loka Kerala Sabha by the standing committee, 10 had been implemented, 13 were under various stages of implementation, and five referred to the Ministry of External Affairs.

He also listed the initiatives adopted by the State government, including the Pravasi Mission set up to focus on the economic reintegration of return migrants, entrepreneurship, decentralised NORKA services, and rehabilitation planning. He also highlighted NoRKA Care as India’s first comprehensive global health and accident insurance scheme for expatriates.

He also referred to the proposed establishment of a dedicated NoRKA police station to handle foreign recruitment fraud cases, the launch of an online student migration portal, the setting up of overseas help desks, and the formation of the NoRKA Canada Coordination Council.

Mr. Vijayan also delved into the increasing uncertainty in global migration, marked by growing intolerance towards migrant communities in Western countries and the weakening of international institutions which threatened to adversely affect expatriates. “In such circumstances, the responsibility of home countries to protect and support their diaspora increases,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Speaker A.N. Shamseer said that Loka Kerala Sabha had successfully brought expatriates into the mainstream of Kerala’s democratic process. He also expressed optimism that the forum would act as a catalyst for increasing expatriate investment and participation in sectors such as industry, start-ups, tourism and education.

Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine and Revenue Minister K. Rajan were among others who spoke on the occasion.