THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government is set to finalize land parcels for several IT parks along the proposed Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam IT corridor within the next two months.
The corridor, stretching from Technopark Phase III to Kollam alongside the under-construction NH 66, aims to become a new growth hub for the region’s technology ecosystem.
Seeram Sambasiva Rao, the special secretary for electronics and IT, confirmed that verification of the identified land is underway and discussions are ongoing. “The process is moving quickly. We will soon finalize the land parcels for the project,” he stated to TOI, highlighting that land acquisition will commence immediately after selection. According to Rao, the government plans to develop two or more IT parks along this corridor.
Previously, the Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd (KSITIL), which oversees the corridor project, shortlisted 15 locations for detailed evaluation. KSITIL has identified nearly 1,000 acres along the corridor and submitted options for final approval to the state government, stated MD Santhosh Babu. “We are waiting for approval. Once granted, we will invite expressions of interest (EoI) from consultants to design the IT parks,” he added.
The corridor initiative is part of a larger vision outlined in the 2022 state budget by Finance Minister K N Balagopal. The initial phase of parks will require approximately 200 acres, along with plans for a 500,000 sq ft IT facility in Kollam city.
However, the project has faced delays in recent months due to indecision regarding park locations and a lack of strong developer interest in previous EoI calls. KSITIL’s earlier EoI did not attract sufficient developers, leading to plans for re-tendering. Critics have also raised concerns about acquiring new land when numerous spaces in Technopark Phases III and IV remain underutilized.
Beyond the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam corridor, the government has proposed additional IT corridors from Ernakulam to Koratty, Ernakulam to Cherthala, and Kozhikode to Kannur. For satellite parks in these areas, the government aims to acquire 14 to 25 acres per site. In fact, KSITIL has identified 76 land parcels totaling 5,000 acres across the four corridors.
In the Kollam region, the 2025 state budget has designated an IT park on land owned by the Kollam corporation, to be developed through a tripartite agreement between KIIFB, Kinfra, and the corporation, with Phase I expected to be completed by 2026. Meanwhile, the expansion of Kerala’s NH 66, crucial for the corridor, is currently only 41% complete, raising concerns about potential infrastructural issues.
Recently, the Attingal municipality proposed the establishment of Technopark Phase VI near the upcoming Attingal bypass along NH 66. The Founder and CEO of Technopark, G Vijayaraghavan, has supported this proposal due to the corridor’s substantial potential for IT growth.
