Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal on Friday said the state's first ‘work near home' project, as it is being called, will be launched on January 19.

Balagopal said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the first WNH centre in Kottarakkara.

The project, initially introduced in a previous state budget, is being implemented in cooperation with Technopark and Cyberpark to bridge the gap between rural talent and global employment opportunities, the minister said.

The "first WNH centre" has been set up in a refurbished BSNL office building here, offering a "plug-and-play" environment where professionals can access world-class workstations without commuting to major cities, he added.

Balagopal said the initiative is part of a broader vision to provide five lakh village-based employment opportunities across Kerala, specifically catering to educated youth and homemakers looking to re-enter the workforce.

Following the launch, the government plans to expand the project to other rural locations, including Kalamassery, Ramanattukara and Taliparamba.

To maintain global standards, the centres will be equipped with uninterrupted electricity and high-speed internet.

Balagopal noted that the success of the model is already evident, as the international IT firm Zoho Corporation has begun operations in Kottarakkara, demonstrating that rural towns can support major tech hubs.

The minister also highlighted the ‘expand your office' project, which encourages existing IT firms to set up branches in rural areas.

Balagopal said the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) has received an interest-free loan from Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board to support infrastructure, allowing the WNH centres to provide premium facilities at affordable rates.