Kerala start-up scene gets boost as state inks pact with Airbus group

Kerala's start-up ecosystem got a major fillip as the state government on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Airbus BizLab, a global aerospace accelerator which is part of the Airbus group.

The MoU was inked between Siddharth Balachandran, Airbus Bizlab India and Saji Gopinath, CEO, Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Under the MoU, an Innovation Centre will be set up here which will be the nodal body for planning and executing all the activities to help start-ups.

"We are confident that this partnership with Airbus Bizlab will help the industrial ecosystem of Kerala. It will up-skill the local youth and enhance employability," said Vijayan.

Airbus BizLab will also provide support and mentoring for start-ups in Kerala and conduct regular workshops and discussions with experts from the aerospace and defence sectors.

Further, the France-headquartered company, which has set up facilities in Bengaluru, Toulouse (France), Hamburg (Germany) and Madrid (Spain) to create a global network of business accelerators, is to run training programmes to acquaint participants with aerospace technologies.

"The initiative aims to foster local talent in the aerospace domain and help promising start-ups to contribute towards shaping the future of flying not only in India but the world," said Anand E. Stanley, president and managing director, Airbus India and South Asia.

(With inputs from agencies.)