Declaring that he will 'create a digital revolution in Kerala,' Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani announced major investment plans for the state on Saturday.
Ambani said Reliance will pump in Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) for various projects in Kerala.
Speaking at the inauguration of the first ever Global Investor Meet at Kochi that Kerala government is organising to attract potential private investors for various projects, Ambani said that Kerala is one of the most networked states in the country.
Ambani said he has always been enchanted by Kerala's enchanting beauty that has driven up tourism business in the state.
He said Reliance Infocomm, that has forayed in basic and mobile telephone services and information technology areas will create state of the art infrastructure for creating a digital revolution in Kerala.
"Reliance has come to Kerala in a big way. Reliance Infocomm has built a 2,500 kilometers of broadband optical cable network that currently touches 62 towns in the state. Soon, Reliance plans to connect each village in Kerala and create an information highway in the state," Ambani informed.
He said Reliance Infocomm would also soon unveil 50 Web stores in Kerala. This is in addition to the 250 petroleum retail outlets that the company has planned across the state.
Officials of the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation that is organising the Global Investor Meet said that the company Reliance has mega investment plans in Kerala.
"The company will set up huge projects in oil, infotech and infrastructure sectors in Kerala. We are really encouraged by Mukesh Ambani's investment commitments for state," a senior KSIDC official told rediff.com.
Ambani said Reliance officials working in Kerala these days are happy with the business atmosphere in the state.
"Kerala leads in crucial social sectors like literacy, population control and health care in the country. People of Kerala are also hardworking," the Reliance chairman said.
But Ambani said over the years Kerala missed great opportunities in industrial reforms and the great leaps information technology.
"Today, Kerala faces a big problem in unemployment because of this," he pointed out.
Therefore, he said, it is a great feeling that Kerala has at last decided to change for the better. "A historic moment has arrived for Kerala to become an economic super state," he said.
Ambani hoped that the Global Investor Meet will immensely help Kerala's efforts to get private investment for making the state a good place to do business.