Kakkanad
Kakkanad skyline in 2011
Kakkanad Location in Kerala, India Show map of Kerala Kakkanad Kakkanad (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 10°01′01″N 76°20′38″E / 10.017°N 76.344°E / 10.017; 76.344
Country	India
State	Kerala
District	Ernakulam
Elevation	28 m (92 ft)
Languages
• Official	Malayalam, English
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
Lok Sabha Constituency	Ernakulam

Kakkanad is a major industrial and residential region in Thrikkakkara, in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, India. The region is part of the Kochi metropolitan area. Kakkanad houses many IT and industrial projects such as the Cochin Special Economic Zone, Infopark, Smart City and KINFRA Export Promotion Industrial Park. It is also the administrative headquarters of the District of Ernakulam.

In the democratic local government, Kakkanad is part of Thrikkakara Municipality. The district office is located in Kakkanad. The collectorate of Ernakulam district is also located here.

History

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

In verse 273 of Naṉṉūl, a 13th-century book on Tamil grammar, Sankara Namasivayar recites a venpa that describes the twelve districts of Tamil Nadu where Koduntamil is spoken, as Thenpandi Nadu, Kutta Nadu, Kuda Nadu, Karka Nadu, Venadu, 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, 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)^[1] etc.

Educational institutions

• Jain university
• ISCA – International School of Creative Arts, Knowledge park- Infopark
• Rajagiri College of Management and Applied science
• Traum Academy for German and French Languages
• Bhavan's Varuna Vidyalaya
• Bhavan's Adarsha Vidyalaya
• Mar Athanasius HS^{[2][circular reference]}
• Rajagiri Christu Jayanthi Public School
• Mar Thoma Public School
• Bharata Mata College
• Rajagiri School of Engineering & Technology
• Rajagiri College
• St Mary's Higher Secondary School, Morakkala
• The Indian Public School [TIPS], Edichira
• St. Charles Borromeo Convent School [ICSE], Thuthiyoor, Kakkanad
• Mary Matha Public School, Kakkanad

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^[3] has a unit near the technopolis. Industrial projects^[specify] like Fashion City are proposed in Kakkanad. This has led to several builders^[who?] setting up projects^[which?] here.

Kakkanad is home for the largest IT Township in India, the Smart City, 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:

• Smart City
• 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.^[4]

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.

Health care

• Sunrise Hospital
• Kusumagiri Mental Health Centre^[5]
• Hridya Multi Speciality Clinic^[6]
• Thrikkakara Municipal Co-operative Hospital

Other

Wonderla, the largest theme park in the state, is located near Kakkanad.

EMS Co-operative Library, housing over 70,000 titles is located at Kakkanad.^[7][8]

Trinity World Tower is one of the biggest apartment project in Kakkanad. There are 4 towers in Trinity World.

Prestige Forum Mall is proposed opposite Kusumagiri Hospital as part of the township project (Prestige Hillside Gateway) developed by Bangalore-based Prestige Group.

Tulsi Greenfield Villas – Biggest customized villa project near Infopark & Smartcity. 86 villas within a gated community.^[9]

Regional Chemical Examiner’s Laboratory, Ernakulam—one of the three laboratories belonging to Chemical Examiner's Laboratory Department under the Government of Kerala—is situated at Kakkanad. It has jurisdiction over central four districts namely Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur and Palakkad districts.^[10]

ABAD Bluechip is a residential apartment project by ABAD Builders in Kakkanad near to Inforpark and Smartcity Kochi.

Yasoram Builders have constructed the Abode project in Thammanam, Ernakulam.

Luxury furniture shop, Bespoke Furniture and More located in Kaipadamugal, Seaport-Airport Road, Kakkanad ^[11]

Skyline Spectra is a residential luxury apartment in Kakkanad by Skyline Builders near Infopark, Kakkanad. ^[12]

SMS Builders have several residential apartment projects with close proximity to Kakkanad.^[13]

Codewills is a website development company in Kakkanad inside Infopark, Kakkanad.^[14]

Datahub Technologies R&D Pvt Ltd is a software development company focussing on AI and Process automation in Kakkanad near Infopark.^[15]