D Dhanuraj gets candid with Nirmal Jovial of The Week talking about the Kerala Budget 2025 and the Kerala Economy

The state government in Kerala faces a severe financial crisis and struggles to generate resources even for its day-to-day affairs.

Many experts are now calling for bold measures to overcome the extreme financial strain. Dr D Dhanuraj, is among those advocating for a systemic overhaul in Kerala through consensus.

In an exclusive interview with The Week, he analyses the complexities of Kerala’s financial troubles and offers his solutions.

The following are a few quotes from the interview:

“Industrialists frequently express concerns about bureaucratic red tape, which remains a major hurdle. Addressing this issue requires a bold political decision, not just a budgetary one.”

“The goal should not be to register 1 lakh businesses but to have 1,000 companies capable of employing 1 lakh people.”

“Higher education in Kerala needs to be more competitive—not in terms of money, but in terms of quality.”

Read Dr D Dhanuraj’s full interview with The Week here.

Views expressed by the author are personal and need not reflect or represent the views of the Centre for Public Policy Research.