Heartfelt Tribute to Shri P. H. Kurian IAS, Sir
I am deeply saddened by the passing of Shri P. H. Kurian IAS, former Additional Chief Secretary and IT Secretary of Kerala. I would like to share a few words from my personal experience about how Kurian Sir understood, encouraged and supported Kerala’s startups and SMEs during some of their most difficult stages of growth.
For many of us, he was not merely a senior government official. He was an accessible, practical and visionary administrator who patiently listened to entrepreneurs, understood the realities faced by small companies and helped transform genuine industry proposals into government action. His timely interventions created opportunities that continued to benefit Kerala’s startup and SME ecosystem for many years.
During his tenure, TBIG proposed a new model of government-supported international business delegations for startups and SMEs. At that time, no specific scheme or established mechanism existed for supporting such delegations. When we approached Kurian Sir with the idea of helping smaller companies explore international business opportunities, he recognised its potential and supported it without hesitation.
He helped us communicate the proposal to the Ministry and obtain the necessary government approvals and financial support. The first delegation was highly successful, and several subsequent delegations were also fully supported by the Government. I proudly remember that I was one of the key persons involved in developing and taking forward this initiative.
The same concept was later introduced to GTech during the leadership of Anoop and Shri V. K. Mathews Sir and developed as the Global Connect Programme. It enabled many Kerala startups and SMEs to explore international markets, establish valuable business relationships and expand their operations globally.
Today, international exposure programmes may appear to be a normal part of a startup & Industry ecosystem. However, those days were very different. There was no ready-made scheme, policy or established pathway available to us. It was Kurian Sir’s open-mindedness, administrative commitment and willingness to support a new industry proposal that made the initiative possible.
I also personally remember his timely intervention during 2014–2015, when several small companies graduating from incubation required office space to continue and expand within Technopark. At that time, the Technopark management was unwilling to consider our requests, even for smaller spaces of around 1,000 sq. ft.
The reality was that we were small companies and could not independently lease larger spaces exceeding 5,000 sq. ft., although such spaces were available. As startups and SMEs, we needed only a reasonable amount of space and a fair opportunity to continue growing within the ecosystem in which we had been incubated.
To overcome this difficulty, we proposed an innovative shared-space model under which six small companies would jointly lease approximately 7,000 sq. ft. However, this proposal was also initially rejected. During this period, Ushustech (Accel IT) was planning to surrender approximately 7,500 sq. ft. of additional space. Its CEO, Shri Philip John Sir, supported our initiative and agreed to transfer the available IT infrastructure to us, enabling the six companies to establish their operations in the proposed shared space.
We then approached Kurian Sir and the then Hon’ble IT Minister, Shri P. K. Kunhalikutty. They understood the genuine difficulties faced by small companies and immediately intervened to facilitate the space-leasing arrangement for all six companies.
Shri Jayasankar Prasad Sir, the then newly appointed and young CEO of KSUM, and Shri K. C. Chandrasekharan Sir ,despite being close to retirement and having limited official responsibilities at that time—also extended their valuable support during this challenging period.
This intervention was much more than the allotment of office space. It protected the continuity, growth and employment potential of six emerging Kerala companies. It gave us the confidence that the Government and its officials were prepared to stand with genuine entrepreneurs when institutional processes were unable to address their practical difficulties.
Kurian Sir demonstrated that good governance means listening to smaller enterprises, understanding their limitations and giving them a fair opportunity to grow. His approach showed that startups and SMEs should not be overlooked merely because they are unable to lease large office spaces or make major investments during their early stages.
From my personal experience, if there is one senior official after Kurian Sir who similarly understood and supported startups and SMEs, it is Shri M. Sivasankar IAS Sir. Both officials worked in their own distinctive ways, but they shared the ability to understand the genuine challenges faced by entrepreneurs, small companies and industry organisations.
They were accessible, listened patiently to practical problems and helped us communicate effectively with the Government and the Hon’ble IT Minister so that genuine proposals could be properly considered and implemented. They understood that startups and SMEs often require guidance, flexibility and timely intervention—not merely rules and procedures to survive and grow.
This is how an effective startup and SME ecosystem should function: entrepreneurs identify practical challenges and opportunities, responsible officials listen and evaluate them, and the Government converts workable ideas into meaningful action. The support provided by officials such as Kurian Sir and Sivasankar Sir demonstrated how committed public servants can create lasting opportunities for companies, entrepreneurs and employees.
These are not merely words of remembrance. They are my personal experiences of how Kurian Sir’s decisions and interventions positively influenced our entrepreneurial journey and opened doors for many similar companies. The programmes and opportunities that followed are part of his lasting contribution to Kerala’s technology and business ecosystem.
Shri P. H. Kurian IAS was an outstanding administrator who listened to entrepreneurs, understood their practical difficulties and had the courage to support new ideas. He did not merely speak about promoting startups and SMEs; he acted when their support was genuinely required.
His passing is a great loss to Kerala and its startup and SME ecosystem. We will always remember Kurian Sir with immense gratitude and respect for his visionary leadership, humane approach, timely interventions and unwavering support for entrepreneurs and growing enterprises.
Heartfelt condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace.
Regards
RB (Rajesh Babu)
Chairman/President
TBiG
