industry of the state of Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram is ranked first in the number of foreign tourists visiting Kerala. It is also a major destination for chartered flights to India for medical tourism, as there are more than fifty recognised Ayurveda centres in and around the city. This is primarily due to Ayurveda's popularity in the West. Medical tourism is further promoted by the recuperation facilities available at the beach resorts and hill stations nearby. The city is also important for people around the world seeking help through Ayurveda medicine and therapy. Ayurveda resorts are coming up at a rapid pace along the International Beach of Kovalam and Varkala coast. There are around 20 government owned and 60 privately owned medium and large-scale industrial units in Thiruvanathapuram. The major employers are the KSIDC, Milma, Keltron, Travancore Titanium and Hindustan Latex, all government owned. There are also about 30,000 small scale industrial units employing around 115,000 people. Traditional industries include handloom and coir.
Commercial activity is low mainly due to the underdevelopment of ports. However, this is expected to change with the construction of the Deep Water Container Transshipment Port at Vizhinjam. Situated close to the city, Vizhinjam is very close to international shipping routes and the east-west shipping axis and hardly require maintenance dredging. Other major organizations of economic interest are the BrahMos Aerospace, Chithranjali Film Complex, Kinfra Apparel Park, Kinfra Film and Video Park, Kerala Hitech Industries (KELTECH), Kerala Automobiles Limited and the English Indian Clays Ltd
