Department of Industries & Commerce, Kerala

Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Kerala

The Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Kerala oversees the industrial activity in the state. The department is a senior cabinet department administrated by a senior minister and a team of 15 secretaries. The administrative head of the Department is the Principal Secretary (Industries and Commerce). Principal Secretary is assisted by additional secretaries, joint secretaries, deputy secretaries, under secretaries and other secretariat staffs. The aim of the Industries and Commerce Department of Kerala is to transform Kerala into an investment hub with a vibrant entrepreneurial community through environment-friendly and sustainable economic growth along with job creation. Anyone intending to start a small business in Kerala should first approach the State Industries and Commerce Department. Every year, the Industries Department honours the best performers at the state and district levels by giving awards to them to encourage small businessmen.

The Directorate of Industries & Commerce is located at Vikas Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram, headed by the Director of Industries & Commerce. The district level machinery of the directorate is located at District Industries Centres (DIC), headed by the General Manager. A single window clearance system has been set up in the District Industries Centres operating in all 14 districts under the control of the Directorate. The Taluk Industries Offices is headed by the Assistant District Industries Officers and Industries Extension Officers are deployed in all the block panchayaths, municipalities and corporations.

Formation of Industries & Commerce Department

Long before modern industrialization, Travancore had a thriving cottage and small-scale economy specializing in traditional industries like handicrafts, coir, handlooms, mat weaving, and bamboo products. The modern industrialisation during british era established several factories in the state. The first coir factory in India is Darragh Smail & Company, Alleppey. It is established in 1859 by James Darragh, an American Irish Origin. It has offices in London and Newyork. The manufacture of mats and mattings was first introduced. The first Textile Mill was established at Kollam (1881) and the first Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) is a Soap Institute founded by Madras Government in 1914. The separate Department of Industries in the princely state of Travancore was established in 1918. Industries like Rayons, Titanium Dioxide, Ammonium Sulphate, Caustic Soda factories started during the period of Sir C.P. Ramaswami Ayyar. Sree Chithira Thirunal is known as the father of modern industrialization in Travancore. Several industries were started in Thiruvananthapuram during his time. Some examples are Travancore Titanium, Travancore Ceramics, Travancore Cochin Chemicals, Aluminium Factories, Travancore Rayons, Public Travancore Rubber Works, Punalur Plywood Factory, and Elur Fertilizers and Chemicals. The Department of Industries in the former Princely State of Travancore grew rapidly during this period, reaching its golden era between 1936 and 1947. Department of Mining and Geology and Department of Labour are separated from the Department of Industries in 1946. After the formation of Kerala State, K.P. Gopalan became the first Industries minister of Kerala in 1957 and served till 1959. The Department of Industries and Commerce (Kerala) was established in the year 1960.

Allied Directorates/Institutions of Industries & Commerce Department

■ Directorate of Industries and Commerce

■ Directorate of Handlooms and Textiles

■ Directorate of Coir Development

■ Directorate of Mining and Geology

■ Directorate of Plantation

■ Directorate of Public Sector Undertakings

■ Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation

■ Kerala Khadi & Village Industries Board

Promotional Agencies

■ Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC)

■ Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA)

■ Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion (K-BIP)

■ Board for Public Sector Transformation (BPT)

■ Public Sector Restructuring and Internal Audit Board (RIAB)

Policies

■ Kerala Industrial and Commercial Policy 2023

■ Kerala Industrial and Commercial Policy 2018

■ Kerala IT Policy 2023

Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)

There are 51 Public Sector Undertakings, including eight cooperative spinning mills under the Department of Industries and Commerce, spread across nine different sectors.

Chemical Sector

■ Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd (KMML)

■ Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (KSDP)

■ Travancore Titanium Products Ltd (TTP)

■ Kerala State Minerals Development Corporation Ltd (KEMDEL)

■ Travancore Cements Ltd (TCL)

■ Travancore Cochin Chemicals Ltd (TCC)

■ Malabar Cements Ltd (MCL)

■ Kerala Paper Products Ltd (KPPL)

Electrical Equipment

■ Kerala Electrical & Allied Engineering Company Ltd

■ United Electrical Industries Ltd