From the Kerala Model to the Kerala Question

From the Kerala Model to the Kerala Question

(Book cover: design by Visaskh Menon [https://www.visakhmenon.com/], based on his painting series Tremors, archival ink on xuan rice paper, 2018-2021.) By Paul Kattuman July 11, 2026 This podcasst is based on Paul Kattuman’s foreword for the book, Kerala and Keralites: The Promise and Challenges [https://www.bryantparkpublishers.com/bryant-park-publishers-books], to be published in July 2026. Kattuman is Professor of Economics at Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. Extracts from the foreword The central concern of this volume is a conversion problem. Kerala created a capable and aspirational society, but it has not always created the institutions or economic conditions in which those capabilities can be fully used. This is why the same achievement returns in the book as a difficulty: education without enough suitable work, migration without adequate protection for migrants, welfare without an assured fiscal base, and women’s advancement without corresponding power in the economy and public life. Kerala’s achievements were produced by social pressure. Communities, especially those denied status, wanted education because it brought dignity, mobility, employment, and bargaining power. State schooling, social movements, labour politics, and electoral mobilisation helped create a culture in which literacy and health became expectations. Kerala’s achievements in female literacy, health, and education do not by themselves amount to economic power. Women’s autonomy through work is shaped just as much by everyday conditions of freedom, such as safety in movement and a fairer distribution of care within families. The chapters in this volume approach Kerala’s development from different angles, but a common theme runs through them. They ask us to look at Kerala plainly: as a society of real achievements and serious contradictions. The Kerala Question is no longer whether human development matters. It is whether Kerala can turn human development into secure livelihoods, greater autonomy for women, environmental security, and a future that more people can imagine within Kerala itself. Paul Kattuman is Professor of Economics at Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, and Director of Studies in Management and Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. His research focuses on econometric methods and applied modelling, especially in public health, the space economy, and the Indian economy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked with Andrew Harvey, Professor of Econometrics in the Faculty of Economics at the University of Cambridge, to develop time-series models for tracking and forecasting epidemic trajectories as they evolved over time. This work contributed to operational forecasting in the UK and India, particularly Kerala. He is an Associate Editor of the Harvard Data Science Review and is affiliated with the Centre for India and Global Business and the Space Economy Initiative, both at Cambridge Judge Business School. Paul holds a BA and MA from the University of Calicut, Kerala, and an MPhil and PhD from the University of Cambridge, all in economics. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globalindiantimes.com [https://www.globalindiantimes.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Why did St Thomas College in Kerala Cancel Journalist Vinod Jose’s Speech on Democracy

(Photo: Vinod Jose, courtesy Wayanad Literary Festival.) February 7, 2026 Part of the mission of St. Thomas College is “To empower the students with deep knowledge and awareness of current developments [https://stcp.ac.in/vision-mission/] in their chosen subject of study.” Also, given accomplished alumni and past speakers, the college management’s decision to cancel Vinod Jose’s lecture, which was presumably backed by officials of the Catholic Church, will hurt the college’s reputation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globalindiantimes.com [https://www.globalindiantimes.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Nature offers Keralites a major source of pride, jobs and income

(Photo: dance, Kerala, courtesy Wikimedia.) By Sunil Mani Sunil Mani is a visiting professor, Centre for Development Studies, and Ahmedabad University, both in India. The views expressed are personal. EXTRACTS Over centuries, Keralites have advanced the use of Ayurvedic and other nature-based remedies to treat back and joint pain, allergies, diabetes, insomnia, stress and other ailments. They grow jackfruits, mangoes, pineapples, cashews, and other fruits. A long tradition of cooking offers toddy-appams, coconut-based fish and meat curries, payasams and halvas. Visitors are entertained with Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Theyyam, Kalaripayattu, and other dances and cultural attractions. Not surprising then, that, tourism and medical tourism are an important pillar of Kerala’s economy. It is one of the state’s largest employers, generates thousands of small and several big entrepreneurs, contributes significantly to a more balanced economic development across the state, and earns foreign exchange for India. However, Kerala’s tourism industry faces major challenges. They include congested roads, impact of climate-change, and, most important, competition from Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Maldives. Up until a decade ago, Kerala was far cheaper for foreign tourists. In 2026, the total costs for a ten-day trip, for a British or American couple, to Kerala, Vietnam and Sri Lanka are roughly the same. Travel to Kerala is becoming more expensive due to higher costs, especially of unskilled labor and real estate. Daily wage rates in Kerala are among the highest in India. It is being driven up by a combination of powerful labor unions and a highly educated workforce, which avoids manual labor. Ironically, Kerala, which exports labor to the Persian Gulf countries, imports unskilled labor - around three million - from the poorer regions of Bihar, West Bengal, and other Indian states. Then, demand for homes and other real estate in Kerala keeps rising, from relatively affluent Keralites working outside the state, especially those in the Persian Gulf countries. This has sharply boosted prices of land and construction costs. There is then climate-related risks, though this also applies to competing tropical tourist destinations. In 2019, for instance, the summer and monsoon tourism business, across much of Kerala, was severely hurt by heavy rain, floods, and landslides. There was also a highly publicized outbreak of the Nipah virus and fears of flood-related communicable diseases, particularly leptospirosis (rat fever), dengue fever, influenza, and hepatitis A. Given the challenges, entrepreneurs, officials, and policy makers in Kerala must recognize that the state’s advantages in tourism needs to be nurtured and strengthened, or it can evaporate quickly. There are no compelling reasons for foreign tourists to spend their money in Kerala. Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Maldives also offer beaches, forests, and birding, good food, and massages, yoga, and other nature-based wellness treatments. The example of the cashew industry in Kerala offers a good lesson. In the mid-1990s, Vietnamese delegations visited Kollam to learn about Kerala’s cashew nut processing operations. By 2006, using automation and favourable government labor and other policies, Vietnam overtook India as the leading exporter of cashew nuts. Meanwhile, Kerala’s cashew agro-industry was unable to cut costs and improve quality, severely damaging the state’s centuries-old dominance in the global supply of the nuts. Unlike Vietnam and Sri Lanka, Kerala offers a rare blend of ancient, proven Ayurveda-based medical services and numerous leisure attractions. Will Kerala’s advantage soon disappear due to complacency and neglect or since it is being copied by rivals? Or, will those in Kerala’s tourism business focus on improving quality and services and lowering costs, thereby continuing to attract more foreign tourists? This essay will be part of the book, Kerala and Keralites: The Promise and Challenges. [https://www.bryantparkpublishers.com/bryant-park-publishers-books]The book is a collection of essays and interviews from the Global Indian Times, edited by Ignatius Chithelen and Cherian Samuel. Bryant Park Publishers. Publication date July 2026. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globalindiantimes.com [https://www.globalindiantimes.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Monica Sunny’s Chai Box sells organic teas, blended with spices from Kerala, in the United States

By Ignatius Chithelen June 25, 2026 Selling even premium teas and coffees is intensely competitive, largely a commodity business, with low barriers to entry for new sellers. Costco’s site, for instance, lists more than fifteen premium, organic breakfast teas, including from large brands like Bigelow, Twinings, and Pure Leaf, all stating their teas are made from natural ingredients and are environmentally friendly. So, Sunny faces a major challenge of fine-tuning the quality, quantity, and price of the Chai Box teas to attract new buyers and convert them into long-term customers. A big advantage in selling caffeinated teas and coffees, as Starbucks, Nespresso and Blue Bottle have shown, is that, once buyers like a taste, and are satisfied with the service and price, they will continue to keep buying since the beverages are addictive. Apparently, Sunny’s strategy is to first attract Indians and other South Asians in the US as customers. If Sunny can get even five-percent, of nearly two million South Asian households, to buy Chai Box teas, it could be a lucrative, niche company. “Growing up in an Indian household, I started drinking Chai at the age of two and blending teas at the age of twelve,” Sunny says in a blog post. “For me, Chai is more than just a drink, it is a part of my culture and heritage...an integral part of my family’s daily ritual. [https://thechaibox.com/pages/our-story]” Ignatius Chithelen is the publisher of Global Indian Times and author of https://www.strandbooks.com/six-degrees-of-education-from-teaching-in-mumbai-to-investment-research-in-new-york-9780997470307.htmlSix Degrees of Education [https://www.strandbooks.com/six-degrees-of-education-from-teaching-in-mumbai-to-investment-research-in-new-york-9780997470307.html] and Passage from India to America. [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Passage-from-India-to-America-Billionaire-Engineers-Extremist-Politics-Advantage-to-Canada-China-Paperback-9780997470376/163965773] A Chartered Financial Analyst, he is manager of Banyan Tree Capital, New York. Neither he nor Banyan has any financial or other interests in any of the companies mentioned in this story. This essay will be part of the book, Kerala and Keralites: The Promise and Challenges. The book is a collection of essays and interviews from the Global Indian Times, edited by Ignatius Chithelen and Cherian Samuel. Bryant Park Publishers. Publication date July 2026. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globalindiantimes.com [https://www.globalindiantimes.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Why Indian Banks Face Big Potential Losses on their Foreign Education Loans

(Image: courtesy Wikimedia Commons.) Ironically, the reduced work visa and job opportunities in the US and UK for Indians earning foreign degrees is in part due to a sharp increase in their numbers. In 2024, more than 1.3 million [https://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases?dtl/388400] Indians were enrolled in foreign universities. This is up twenty-five fold, from about 53,000, in 2000; and up seven-fold, from about 192,000, in 2010. [https://wenr.wes.org/strategic-internationalization/wenr-november-2012-where-are-overseas-indians-studying/] Hence, the intense competition, among college graduates for jobs in India, is also occurring among Indians with degrees in foreign countries. Yet, many Indian students continue to believe that a foreign degree, even a non-STEM one, is the key that will enable them to get a high-paying foreign job. In part, they are influenced by stories about the success of Indians, especially in the US, widely covered by the media in India. Ultimately, the responsibility lies on the parents and the students. They should view borrowing for a foreign degree with a realistic understanding of the risks. A foreign education loan should not be a speculative gamble, like borrowing a large, high interest loan to buy a lottery ticket. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globalindiantimes.com [https://www.globalindiantimes.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]