In this issue we feature an entrepreneur couple who defied all odds to set up and sustain their dream venture when anybody else their age would have considered retirement. Their journey is also a constant reminder that 'ease of doing business' in Kerala has still a long way to go.  Read the inspiring story of P Damodaran Nair and Syamala Nair, promoters of Viyyat Power. Also in this issue is a detailed interview with Kerala-focussed Angel Investor Anil Joshi.  Happy New Year.

In this issue we focus on Kerala's globally acclaimed Responsible Tourism initiatives which take tourism activities to the grass-roots level, ensuring livelihood to local communities while offering wonderful experiential tourism products to the visitors, showcasing the ‘life on the move’. That apart we dissect the Union and State budgets. In Startups, we feature ILove9Months, a women-led business championing maternity wellness. And post event reports on EDGE Kerala and Seeding Kerala. 

On the cover this month are the winners of the third edition of Destination Kerala SME Excellence Awards 2019.  Other highlights of this month are: Konglo Ventures' Vinod Jose shares his thoughts on startup investments and soft corner for Kerala. ASCEND KERALA 2020 post event report. Other highlights include: Finally, Kerala's Own Bank Comes Into Existence; Kerala To Be Declared World Leader In Responsible Tourism In 2022; 
The First Super Fab Lab Outside The Us Setup at ISC.

In this issue we celebrate Kerala's top startup success stories - 10 winners of the Destination Kerala Startup Awards selected by an independent jury of business leaders.  Read about the NASSCOM startup report which paints a promising picture. Plus all the reports from on the ground at World Travel Market (WTM) London, CII Global Ayurveda Summit and Champions Boat League. 

On the cover for this World Travel Market (WTM) London special issue is Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Secretary Rani George IAS.  After the devastating floods in 2018, the travel & tourism industry in the State fought back with a well planned strategy. Here is the story of Kerala Tourism which not only managed to stand on its feet post floods, but gallop and reclaim its high pedestal. For Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), its been handshake season. With a slew of agreements with multi-crore business entities and recent display of strength at GITEX, KSUM poised to make quantum leaps. And many other stories.

Delighted to feature on the cover the Aswani family, an inspiring story of great resilience, forward thinking entrepreneurship and sound family values. Deepak Aswani and his family run enterprise represent ITC in Kerala and Raymond stores in Kochi. In other stories, we take a deep look at the labour unrest in Muthoot Finance, India's biggest gold loan company.  Also detailed reports on TiE Women in Business Summit, ICTT, Champions Boat League and Huddle Kerala 2019.

In this issue, we feature on the cover the highest ranking Malayalee official at State Bank of India, K V Haridas, who heads their retail business. Onam, the biggest retail season in Kerala is in full swing but there is cautious optimism as the economic slump is eating into demand.  In other stories, Semi High-Speed Rail Corridor in Kerala gets cabinet nod; Kerala Tourism App receives warn response and Sastra Robotics signs MoU with Lockheed Martin.

In our August 2019 issue, on the cover is Sam Santhosh, a biotech entrepreneur and the brain behind Scigenom, Agrigenome and Medgenome.  After establishing and selling off IT firm California Software (Calsoft), Sam took some time off to study bioinformatics and genomics before his foray into this new high tech domain. His ventures have attracted funding from PE majors in multiple rounds.  Kerala Health Tourism 2019 organised by CII calls for collaboration among all stakeholders to position Kerala as an MVT destination. UST Global's Sajan Pillai steps down and announces VC fund for startups and a project for the elderly. And reporting on many more interesting developments from the State.

On the cover this month is second generation leader of the most trusted name in eyecare - Thiruvananthapuram headquartered Chaithanya Eye Hospital and Research Centre's Dr. R Unnikrishnan Nair. In the private healthcare space where intense competition is undermining values and ethics, Chaithanya is adhering to the principles laid down by its founder Dr. K G Ramachandran Nair.  In other stories,  Kerala Health Tourism (KHT) 2019 organised by CII is into its 7th edition; SatSure is making inroads into the space technology startup space; and a summary of the TechGig survey on what makes a firm a 'Best Company to Work For'.

On the cover this month is a personality who adorned our front page two decades ago – to be precise, our second issue in the year 1997. Dr. J Hareendran Nair of Pankajakasthuri Herbals was  fighting the system then. He is continuing his crusade even today – to secure credibility and respectability for Ayurvedic medicines, which Allopathic drugs are so entitled to. And In Focus, as yet another ‘Karkadakam’ approaches, we meet some of the leading practitioners of Ayurveda in Kerala to find out the benefits and usefulness
of the rejuvenating ‘Sukhachikitsa’ being offered during this lean season, and the popularity it has gained over the years, drawing more and more people from various cross sections of society who prefer to undergo it.

On the cover this month are technocrat Shan Kadavil and fish trader Mathew Joseph, who came from two entirely unrelated business domains to create freshtohome, the country’s first venture which brings fresh catch to the consumer’s doorstep. Also in this issue is a deep dive into what's going wrong with Kovalam and how to fix it.  Plus a detailed dissection of the twin challenges of engineering education in Kerala: staying relevant and remaining attractive. 

Continuing our series ‘Malabar Maestros’ showcasing the leading lights of the entrepreneur ecosystem in North Kerala, our cover story this month features N K Abdul Jaleel, the king of out of home media in Kerala. Apart from running Jay ‘N’ Jay Hoarding Company, he has also diversified into PVC designer doors (Stylex Doors) and hi-tech dairy farming (Edayur Farms), ably supported by son Junaid.

In March, Destination Kerala travels to ITB Berlin, the world's largest travel fair. The issue focuses on Wellness and features some of the reputed players in the space. On the cover is Mini Sajan, CEO of SAJ Hotels & Resorts, one of the few women leaders in Kerala's hospitality segment.  Kerala Tourism has a new brand campaign and is all set for ITB Berlin. Read the In Focus feature for more details.

On the cover this month we are proud to feature one of the winners of the Destination Kerala SME Excellence Awards in 2017. RG Vishnu has taken his family run Gingelly Oil business global and expanded the product portfolio, while upholding ‘quality’ and ‘trust’, the two pillars RG Group is renowned for and something his parents Ramesh RG (chairman) and Ambika Ramesh (managing director) have institutionalised over the years. This is an inspiring story for any next generation enterprise.

Welcome to the New Year issue of Destination Kerala. Featuring on the cover, a tycoon with a golden touch. His conglomerate is vastly diversified and growing rapidly. Whatever he has attempted, has turned into profitable businesses.  Read about Gokulam Gopalan's inspiring journey.  Plus post event report on Destination Kerala SME Excellence Awards; Making A Difference with Hari M R, The rich legacy of RCM Healthcare, interview with K Biju IAS on K-SWIFT, and many more.

In this issue, we feature the custodian of trust in Kerala and much of India, NBFC czar V P Nandakumar of Manappuram Finance Limited. Manappuram is a leader in the gold loan segment holding tonnes of gold in collateral security.  Also in this issue are the post event reports on: WTM 2018 where Kerala won big for its Responsible Tourism initiatives; TiEcon Kerala which came up with ideas and suggestions for Rebuilding Kerala; and Global Ayurveda Summit that deliberated on plans to diversify the scope of the ancient science.

In this issue of Destination Kerala we proudly present, for the first time, the scion of the billion dollar Malayali enterprise RP Group, Ganesh Ravi Pillai along with his illustrious father and founder of the diversified global conglomerate, Dr. Ravi Pillai.  Now that's a coup.

A detailed assessment of one year old Responsible Tourism (RT) Initiative, all the download from the super successful Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) and other interesting stories.

The MSME sector has been badly affected by the catastrophic floods that hit Kerala. Destination Kerala investigates the impact and the way forward for reviving our MSMEs. Our cover story features Rafeek Abdulla of Crocurry and Willmax India. In less than ten years, he has built a fast growing enterprise offering the best in classy dining accessories. Under Making a Difference series, we endorse Navajeevan Trust. And a detailed report on the most successful Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) ever held. 

This edition is a special for Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2018 and discusses Kerala Tourism's priorities and focus areas as the world's biggest buyers converge in Kochi late September. This magazine is also the first release post #KeralaFloods and details all the concerted and unprecedented efforts undertaken by one and all towards rescue, relief and rehabilitation. On the cover is UDS Group of Hotels' Rajasekharan Nair, the southern star of plush hospitality.

On the cover is Destination Kerala Women Business Summit's Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 Sheela Kochouseph, founder MD of V Star Creations. Also read the full report on Kerala's largest congregation of women entrepreneurs and business leaders.  A detailed analysis of the retail market getting ready for Onam has also been included. 

On the cover this month is Ajmal V A of Bismi, the rising star of the retail industry in Kerala.  Read also about how Kerala is tapping the opportunities in Blockchain. In our issue theme, we focus on Kerala PSUs scripting profitable growth - KMML, TTP, KSIE, TRACO Cable. In 'Making A Difference', we feature Greenstorm, the Kochi-based creative agency Organic BPS' CSR initiative to foster environmental awareness through branding and advertising.

In June we feature a trendsetter in Kerala's tech retail scene, Shijo K Thomas, CEO, Oxygen - The Digital Shop. Destination Kerala CEO Roundtable discusses whether the upcoming season will witness a retail renaissance.  Under 'Startups' we feature Inntot Technologies exploring opportunities for digital radio and in 'Making a Difference' we have The Apprentice Project. Plus a post event report on KMA's Women Leadership Conclave. 

Continuing our series 'Malabar Maestros', on the cover in May is Mehroof Manalody of G-TEC Group of Institutions, a highly enterprising enabler of IT education.  Another engineering admission season and we take a deep dive into the employability deficit in our technology education sector - Kerala's challenges in moulding engineers with qualitative edge. In 'Making a Difference' we feature Jwala Foundation and under 'Startups' we have Oru Pothichoru.

This FY we are celebrating as the Year of Malabar.  Through the year we will showcase success stories from Kerala's northern region famed for their business acumen, camaraderie and compassion. In this issue, we feature the dynamic duo behind one of the travel trade powerhouses, Alhind Group: Valsaraj P V and T Muhammed Haris. In twenty five years they have built a Rs. 4000 cr empire offering A-Z of travel needs.

In this year end issue, we feature on the cover Muhammed Madani K, head honcho of ABC Group, a retail giant in Kerala offering world-class brand names in ceramics, tiles, sanitaryware and bath fittings.  Also detailed post event reports on Destination Kerala's maiden Startup Awards and the Thrissur edition of CCKK (CEOs Croon for Kerala Kids). 

In this issue we feature Thomas John of AGAPPE on the cover.  Thomas has built AGAPPE into one of the world's leading medical diagnostics equipment manufacturing companies by relying on highly skilled talent from Kerala and locating his world class facilities in Ernakulam. He has busted the myth that Kerala is not manufacturing industry friendly. We also look at the sports retail industry in Kerala and how it is showing immense potential for growth. However, though Malayalees are crazy about sports, they are not spending enough time or money on pursuing sports and fitness like their brethren in our neighboring States.  

In this issue we feature the 'twin Malayali dimension' at national sanitaryware giant CERA - P K Shashidharan and Abbey Rodrigues. Our issue theme focusses on Infertility Clinics and their growing business in Kerala. Last but not the least, Destination Kerala founder and editorial chairman Mathukutty J Kunnappally passed away on 26 December. Obituary and detailed report inside.

On the cover is the matriarch of bespoke fashion wear in Kerala, Sheila James, the founder of Czarina boutique in Thiruvananthapuram. Our issue theme dives deep into the booming auto aftermarket in Kerala. Plus detailed reports on TiEcon Kerala, World Travel Market London and Unaruka entrepreneurship summit at Kozhikode. 

Our World Travel Market (WTM) London Special issue focusses on Adventure Tourism and the various options available for travellers visiting Kerala. On the cover is Riaz Ahmed of Abad Hotels & Resorts, one of the largest hospitality players in the state.  This month, we are also the official magazine partner for Kerala Health Tourism (KHT) 2017 at Kozhikode aimed at marketing Kerala as a Medical Value Travel (MVT) destination.  

On the cover is one of the tallest leaders from the IT industry in Kerala, Nanda Kumar K, the founder of SunTec Business Solutions. Over the last two and a half decades he has executed on his vision with determination to build a spectacular IT product success story. Read about his journey penned by executive editor Athul Lal A G. 

As always we continue to document trends that we witness on the business landscape in our Issue Theme. This month we are tracking the art café scene which is seeing some interesting action across Kerala. While many of them are yet to turn cash positive, they are led by enthusiastic entrepreneurs who are passionate about art. Art cafes are immensely benefitting upcoming artists offering them a great setting to showcase their work, seek buyers and solicit patronage. 

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Destination Kerala is Kerala’s foremost English language business monthly. It features original and curated articles on the State’s burgeoning tourism, information technology, infrastructure, retail, real estate, education, healthcare, banking & finance, fashion & lifestyle and agro industries.

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Destination Kerala - January 2020

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