Kakkanad is a region in

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

, located east of the city centre. The term is used to refer to an area covering Thrikkakara municipality and the built-up areas in the western parts of the adjoining Kunnathunad grama panchayat. Kakkanad is a region of great economic importance within the larger Kochi metropolis. It houses many industrial and IT projects including the Cochin Special Economic Zone, Infopark,

Smart City A smart city is an urban area that uses digital technology to collect data and operate services. Data is collected from citizens, devices, buildings, or cameras. Applications include traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities ...

and KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial Park. It is also the administrative headquarters of the District of Ernakulam.

History

Kakkanad is located near Thrikkakara, the capital of the mythical King

Mahabali Mahabali (IAST: Mahābalī), also known as Bali, Indrasenan, or Māveli, is a daitya king featured in Hinduism. He is the grandson of Prahlada, and a descendant of the sage Kashyapa. There are many versions of his legend in ancient texts suc ...

. In verse 273 of '' Naṉṉūl'', a 13th-century book on Tamil grammar, Sankara Namasivayar recites a

venpa Venpa or Venba ('' வெண்பா'' in Tamil) is a form of classical Tamil poetry. Classical Tamil poetry has been classified based upon the rules of metric prosody. Such rules form a context-free grammar. Every venba consists of between tw ...

that describes the twelve districts of Tamil Nadu where Koduntamil is spoken, as Thenpandi Nadu, Kutta Nadu, Kuda Nadu, Karka Nadu,

Venad Venad was a medieval kingdom between the Western Ghat mountains of India with its capital at city of Quilon.Noburu Karashmia (ed.), A Concise History of South India: Issues and Interpretations. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2014. 143 ...

u, Poozhi Nadu, Pandri Nadu, Aruva Nadu, Aruva Vadathalai, Seetha Nadu, Malai Nadu and Punal Nadu. "Karka Nadu" is believed to be a reference to Kakkanad. The old name of kakanad is karkanad-thrikakara.

Administration

Being the administrative hub of

Ernakulam district Ernakulam (; ISO: ''Eṟaṇākuḷaṁ'') is one of the List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala, and takes its name from the Ernakulam, eponymous city division in Kochi. ...

, Kakkanad is home to several state as well as central government offices namely, the ''Civil Station'' (hosting ''The District Collectrate'', ''The RTO'' etc.), the District Panchayat office, the ''Airman Selection Board'', ''Siksha Bhavan'' (office of the Central HRD Ministry), ''Kendriya Shram Sadan'' (office of the Regional Labour Commissioner) etc.

Industry

Kakkanad is home for a portion of the industrial base of Kochi. It is home for the Cochin Special Economic Zone(CSEZ). Carborundum Universal Ltd has a unit near the technopolis. Industrial projects like Fashion City are proposed in Kakkanad. This has led to several builders setting up projects here. Kakkanad is home for the largest IT Township in India, the

, the second largest IT industrial park in Kerala, the Kochi InfoPark. Kakkanad is also home for a ''Software Export Promotion Zone (SEPZ)''. The international submarine cable systems landing in Kochi has their nodes installed in Kakkanad. The CSEZ houses the Cognizant Technology Solutions, Williamslea, WRENCH Solutions, and the Sutherland Global Solutions. Kakkanad houses the following IT Parks: *

* Infopark * Muthoot Technopolis * Kinfra HiTech Park * Parsvanath IT Park * Trans-Asia Tech Tower * HDIL Cyber City * Electronics City, Kochi * WTC – World Trade Center, Kochi − All these together accounts for 25% of IT exports from Kerala. The Kerala Books and Publications Society has its press at Kakkanad. The press is the biggest multicolor offset printing unit in Kerala Government Sector.History , Kerala Books and Publications Society
Keralabooks.org. Retrieved on 21 February 2020.

Media

Kakkanad is also the broadcasting hub of Kochi. It is home for the ''terrestrial relay station'' of the national television broadcaster, the ''Doordarshan''. Prasar Bharati, the corporation controlling the public broadcast, has a marketing division at Kakkanad. Kakkanad also hosts the state-owned ''Kochi FM Radio''. Red FM Regional office is also at Kakkanad on Seaport – Airport Road, near Infopark express way.

History

Administration

Industry

Media

Localities

References

External links