Karnataka job quota bill: Kerala minister invites firms to relocate

Thiruvananthapuram: Following the backlash after Karnataka government's proposed law on job reservation in the private sector, Kerala is trying to woo private investors as Industries Minister P Rajeev said it is right for the companies to invest in Kerala.

In a social media post on Wednesday, P Rajeev said, "Invest in Kerala. Employee talent and merit are the only criteria for recruitment. It is the right time for companies to discover Kerala, with its highly skilled talent pool, the best climate, and a hassle-free environment. Embrace this opportunity... #KeralaCalling."

The post is widely interpreted as a move to take advantage of the concerns caused to the private sector over Karnataka's private sector job reservation move, which was put on hold by Wednesday following strong resistance from various quarters.

Earlier, the Kerala minister made a similar move when Bengaluru witnessed water scarcity during this March. He had then said that as part of wooing IT firms in Bengaluru to expand their operations to Kerala, the availability of water in Kerala would be also highlighted.

Industry sources said that social infrastructure is a key reason why cities like Bengaluru are attracting more IT/ITES firms than cities in Kerala. While Kerala's annual expert revenue from the sector is only around Rs. 20,000 crore, for Karnataka is it over Rs. 3 lakh crore