Thiruvananthapuram: MP Shashi Tharoor has defended his recent praise for Kerala’s startup ecosystem, stating that he has always acknowledged good initiatives, regardless of which party implements them. "I made these observations based on the Global Startup Ecosystem ranking, not just the government's claims," he clarified.

Tharoor’s remarks come in response to criticism from his own party after he acknowledged the industrial and startup-friendly policies of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government. He reiterated that his comments were not an endorsement of any political party but rather an objective assessment of Kerala’s progress. "Criticising everything doesn't make sense. I am not a party spokesperson. This is my personal opinion," he added.

Addressing Minister P Rajeev’s claim that businesses in Kerala can now be registered within two minutes, Tharoor admitted it might be an exaggeration but acknowledged improvements in the single-window clearance system. "I have verified that enterprises now have access to single-window clearance, which is a significant step forward," he said.

Tharoor further argued that good policies should be carried forward regardless of political transitions. "When we come to power next year, we should continue the good initiatives started by this government. Similarly, they shouldn’t criticise us when we introduce good policies in the future," he said.

In his article for The New Indian Express, Tharoor had observed that Kerala, which had long struggled with industrial growth, has recently made notable progress. Citing the 2024 Global Startup Ecosystem Report—which analysed data from over 4.5 million companies across 300 entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems—he highlighted that Kerala’s startup ecosystem was valued at $1.7 billion, five times the global average.

On foreign affairs, Tharoor also maintained that national interests should take precedence over party politics. "When discussing foreign relations, we must think of the country as a whole," he said. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent US visit, he remarked that Modi should have addressed the treatment of deported Indians, even if he chose to do so behind closed doors.