Economy of Thiruvananthapuram

The economy of the city is mainly focused on Tourism & Leisure , Information Technology , Plantation-Rubber, Cofee & Tea and Education. There are many manufacturing industries like Travancore Titanium Products Ltd, English Indian Clays (The Thaper Group), etc. However, industrialisation is less compared to other major south Indian cities like Chennai or Bangalore. Most of the people are engaged in low remunerative pursuits which require very little capital. Political and social consciousness, coupled with the efforts of the social, religious and cultural leaders, have helped to pull down the age-old feudal order. Economic changes have also affected the social life and attitude of the people.

Manufacturing Industries

In Thiruvananthapuram there are many medium and large scale industries which fall under central sector, state sector, co-operative sector, joint sector and private sectors. The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) is a public sector establishment to set up small scale and large scale industries effectively. The registered working factories in the city include oil mills, cashew factories, cotton textiles, saw mills, printing units, rubber industrial units, chemical units, match factories, general engineering units and automobile workshops. The S.M.S.M. Institute in Thiruvananthapuram is a major institution through which the products of the handicraft industries are marketed.

There is an industrial estate at Pappanamcode and an industrial development centre at Kochuveli. Traditional industries such as coir and handloom are now faced with several problems. Handloom weaving is prevalent at Balaramapuram, Amaravila, Kulathur and Chirayinkeezhu, which are located in the suburbs of the city. It is estimated that clothes worth Rs.950 lakhs are annuallyproduced in the handloom sector. Keltron (Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation) has made inroads into electronic markets throughout the country. The Kerala State Sericulture Co-operative Federation Limited (SERIFED) had declared Balaramapuram as a "Silk Village" in 2004 and the silk yarn produced at different cenntres in Kerala is processed to Fabric at Balaramapuram.

Companies such as Travancore Titanium Products Ltd (TTP), the leading manufacturer of anatase grade titanium dioxide in Asia,English Indian Clays Limited, Kerala Automobiles Ltd, the leading public sector company in manufacturing three-wheelers in south India are located in the city. Hindustan Latex Limited is an Indian giant in the manufacturing of latex-based products, including condoms. They currently hold a license to manufacture Ormeloxifene, a form of birth control. HLL is headquartered in the city.

Tourism

Tourism has also contributed heavily to the economy of Thiruvananthapuram. The entire tourism package of the state such as hill stations, back waters, beaches, lagoons, and wild life sanctuaries are present in Thiruvananthapuram district, reflects the entire beauty of the state Kerala. Foreign tourists are flocking to Thiruvananthapuram, a major destination for chartered flights to India for Medical tourism, as there are more than fifty recognised Ayurveda centres in and around the city. This is primarily due to Ayurveda's immense popularity in the West. Medical tourism is further promoted by world class modern medicine hospitals in the city. Recuperation facilities are available at five star beach resorts and hill stations nearby.

Information Technology

Technopark was established for the development of electronics and information technology in the State. It is India's first first industrial park dedicated to electronics, software, and IT ventures. Started 1990, the campus at Thiruvananthapuram city covers an area the 300 acres (728,000 m²) campus with convert|1500000|sqft|m2|abbr=on. of built-up space available currently and another 600,000 more sq ft of built up space coming up, is now home to over 100 companies from numerous countries. Over 12,500 IT professionals are working here. The companies include one CMMI level 5 and PCMM level 5 company, four CMM Level 5, two CMM Level 3 and several ISO 9001 certified companies.

Thiruvananthapuram was rated as the best 2nd tier metro with IT/ITES infrastructure, and second in terms of availability of human talent [http://www.ciol.com/content/news/2006/106072505.asp] . The district contributes 80% of software exports from the state.

Space Technology

The Indian Space Programme came into being on 21st November 1963 with the launching of a sounding rocket from Thumba in Thiruvananthapuram city borders. This Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) ultimately blossomed into various centres of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) is the prime centre engaged in design and development of launch vehicles.

The ISRO under the Department of Space, Government of India has the VSSC at Thumba and Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Valiyamala Nedumangadu in Thiruvananthapuram district. The ISRO Inertial System Unit (IISU) of the ISRO and the Reinforced Plastic Centre (REPLACE) function from Vattiyoorkavu in the city.

Biotechnology

Since the commencement of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) in 2002, the domain of biotechnology is a rapidly expanding field in the city. The Biotechnology park owned by KINFRA in Kazhakkoottam is home to many biotechnology companies. The establishments such as Regional Cancer Centre, CSIR - Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) contributes much to the biotechnology, microbiology related industries.

External links

* [http://www.travancoretitanium.com/ Travancore Titanium]
* [http://www.technopark.org/ Technopark]
* [http://www.rgcb.res.in/ Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology]
* http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2002/11/24/stories/2002112401310200.htm