Fresh air, rush-free roads, and a great work life-balance would be the common answer for most of the non-keralites who would prefer to work in Kerala instead of other metropolitan cities in India. Two cities from Kerala, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram have emerged as the most preferable cities to work among young India according to the India’s Skills Report: 2024, published on December 20, 2023. The report was prepared by Wheebox, a talent assessment agency, in association with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The report surveyed 3.88 lakh youths across India.
TNM spoke to some non-Keralites about what made them stay back in Kerala, after moving to the state and are now enamoured by it.
Gabriel Nirmal Kiran, a 34-year-old Marketing Manager at Experion Technologies in Ernakulam, moved to Kerala around two years ago from Bangalore. Even though he’s been around only for two years he enjoys the infrastructure, greenery, and work-life balance in Kerala. “Nature brings a refreshing and revitalising influence, which leads to a balanced and better lifestyle. The prominence of home-cooked food and the cheaper cost of living in a thriving culture make it ideal,” says Gabriel who is always excited to talk about the state.
Raj Kishore Yadav, a native of the Madhubani district of Bihar now works as an Associate Software Engineer at Experion Technologies, Ernakulam after having completed his Master’s in MCA from the Cochin University of Science and Technology. CUSAT. Raj Kishore lists the education system, culture, environment and the people of Kerala as the top reasons why he loves the place. “One of the important reasons why I love Kerala is the availability of job opportunities through campus placements after completing college. I got my job immediately after passing out through campus placement. I found it very comfortable here. So, I chose to live here,” he added.
Siddharth Deo, aged 29, a native of Delhi who moved to Kerala around two to three years ago says, moving to Kochi was the best decision he took. “Moving to Kochi is, I would say, a good decision. In my team, everyone helped me to find a house and they are so supportive and helpful apart from work. The colleges in Kerala are very good compared to other places. Being born in the northern part of the country and moving here is a different experience,” he added.
Kerala food is also popular among them. “The food is very different from my native place, but I like most of the food items such as Chicken biryani, Kerala Meals, Dosa and many more. The cost of living is manageable, although it does vary based on the city and locality. I’ve found it to be reasonable, and with careful budgeting, it aligns well with my lifestyle,” Raj Kishore said.
Sidhharth too enjoys the food here though it’s quite different. “For the language initially, I struggled a lot then tried to pick up. In day-to-day life, I can feel a lot of difference but yes, I am enjoying exploring Kerala and its beautiful culture,” he added. He works as a Front-end Developer at Experion Technologies.
The peacefulness and a less polluted atmosphere are the common points everyone raises when asking about the positives of Kerala. “Nature, less traffic, less pollution, people with good hospitality make life different in Kerala,” Siddharth said.
Vimal Mehta, a native Gujarat came to Kerala a decade ago and worked as a travel agent in Kozhikode. He decided to settle here after seeing the quality of education. He wants his kids to complete primary education in Kerala to build a strong foundation in their academics. “I studied in Gujarat, and I know the education system there. After coming to Kerala, I understood the quality of education the state provides to the students. So, I decided that my kids should learn their primary education from here,” he said.
His daughter and son both completed their higher secondary education in Kozhikode. They studied in Presentation school and Bhavans Vidya Mandir school.
