Kinfra reviews plan for 200cr Ayurveda Village

T'puram: The proposed Rs 200-crore Ayurveda Tourism Global Village at Elakamon in Varkala is under evaluation, with Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) reassessing its development framework and exploring the possibility of identifying a single master developer for the project.Originally conceived during the Emerging Kerala initiative in 2012, the project was envisioned as part of state's efforts to position Kerala as a global hub for ayurveda and wellness tourism. However, land acquisition faced delays due to local objections. Of the initially proposed 68 acres, around 32 acres had been acquired by 2019.
Despite progress on land acquisition, the project has not yet reached the final approval stage. The proposal is pending placement before State Industrial Land Allotment Committee (SILAC), which is responsible for clearing land allotments for such initiatives. Officials said the current phase reflects a strategic reassessment rather than a procedural delay. According to a Kinfra source, the agency is examining the option of handing over the entire land parcel either to a single developer or through a joint venture model to ensure integrated execution. "We have received interest from multiple firms, and several representatives have visited the site. However, the intention is to identify an entity capable of developing the entire land into an integrated global village project. Since Kinfra has incurred significant expenditure for land acquisition, the financial proposal should also be viable enough to meet those costs," said a Kinfra official. The official added that only after identifying a suitable developer would the proposal be forwarded to SILAC for consideration. The project envisions a comprehensive ayurveda tourism destination integrating treatment centres, research facilities, wellness resorts and allied tourism infrastructure, targeting both domestic and international wellness travellers. In 2023, a private firm signed a memorandum of understanding with Kinfra expressing interest in developing the project. However, the proposal has not progressed to the SILAC stage.Meanwhile, the firm has submitted a petition to the CM seeking expedited approvals to advance the project.