South Indian Bank title sponsor of GKSF

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Tourism Department has announced the South Indian Bank, one of India's leading private sector banks, as its title sponsor of the sixth edition of Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF), which is the largest shopping festival of its kind in Asia. A MOU in this regard would be signed between Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar and South Indian Bank Executive Director Abraham Tharayan.

GKSF is one of the biggest events of Kerala's tourism and retail calendar. Season 6 of GKSF starts from December 15, 2012 and concludes on January 31, 2013, aiming to be bigger and better than ever. The 48-day fiesta has lined up special discounts, exciting prizes and a series of fun-filled events for shoppers within and from outside the state. The festival's multi-fold objectives include making Kerala the country's tourism and trade hub by strengthening the state's retail sector, increasing inflow of both domestic and foreign tourists, and promoting our culture, traditions, handicraft and indigenous products. The support of the South Indian Bank could trigger a wave of 'shopping tourism', which has great potential to boost trade and commerce sectors of the country's economy.