Abstract

This report, published in 2010, details the results of a study on the economy of Thiruvananthapuram (henceforth refered to as TVM), a district in Kerala known for housing its capital city. The study looks to locate the district in the economic map of the state, as well as to document the structural and sectoral transformation of the district. The report examines the impact and development of the agricultural and industrial context of the state and identifies the position of the district relative to Kerala’s other districts in terms of its human development and growth dynamics. Along with a demographic and macroeconomic analysis of TVM, the report offers a valuable sectoral analysis for the agricultural and industrial sectors in the district, as well as the coir, handloom, IT, SSI (small scale industry) clusters and services industries in the district.

The report finds TVM to be well positioned in terms of its MPCE and level of poverty relative to the rest of the state, however it fails to carry the same momentum forward in terms of other human development indicators. TVM’s performance on the HDI matches that of the state average, while its score on the GDI (Gender Development Index) is lower than that of the state average. Amongst the problems scoped out by the author for the future, the issue of an aging population and prevalent gender inequality issues seem to tail the district, though the report identifies the service sector and the Tech Park as signs of hope.

Oomen, MA. (2010). The economy of Thiruvananthapuram. Bengaluru: Centre for Budget and Policy Studies