SethuIndia · Huddle Global 2026 · 12–13 November · The Leela Kovalam
Nordic Blue Horizons.
Iceland and Kerala at one table, talking about the sea: how to earn more from it, power a coast with it, and welcome visitors to it without wearing it out.
Why now
Kerala's coast is an economy waiting to be organised.
The Nordic countries have already worked out a lot of this. Huddle Global puts Kerala's startups, investors and policymakers in one room, so a good conversation can become a pilot.
Kerala
A coast ready for what's next
About 590 km of coastline, a large fishing community, the new Vizhinjam deep-water port, and a tourism story built on backwaters and beaches.
The Nordics
Models that already work
Iceland gets far more from every fish through its ocean-cluster model, and runs on geothermal and hydro power. Norway and Denmark lead in offshore wind and green shipping. Finland leads in clean tech and the circular economy.
Huddle Global
The right room
Kerala's startups, investors and policymakers, together for three days, with the reach to turn talk into a pilot.
Four themes
One coast. Four conversations.
01
Blue economy
Ocean clusters, using the whole catch, aquaculture and marine biotech.
02
Ocean economy
Ports, greener shipping, coastal logistics and ocean data.
03
Sustainable energy
Offshore wind, geothermal know-how, green hydrogen, and power for fishing communities.
04
Eco-tourism
Gentler coastal and backwater tourism, carrying capacity, and stays owned by the community.
The format
Forty minutes, built to end in next steps.
| Time | Segment | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5 min | Opening | Iceland, as anchor country, opens the session. |
| 5–30 min | Roundtable | A moderated conversation between Nordic dignitaries, the Government of Kerala, startups and investors. One question per theme. |
| 30–40 min | Next steps | Pilots, delegation visits and startup exchanges to carry into 2027. |
It can run as a closed-door roundtable, a Sustainability Zone session, or a Nordic network dinner with the conversation built in, whichever suits Huddle Global 2026 best.
Who's at the table
Fifteen to twenty seats.
Nordic
Four Nordic governments
Iceland as anchor country, with Denmark, Norway and Finland invited, along with their ocean, energy and tourism ecosystems.
Kerala
Government, startups and investors
The Fisheries, Ports, Tourism and Power departments, Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), and selected startups and investors.
SethuIndia and partners
Convene and moderate
Invite and brief the Nordic dignitaries, design the questions, moderate the session, and publish what comes out of it.
Huddle Global · Government of Kerala
Host
Host the session and venue, handle protocol for visiting dignitaries, and invite Kerala officials and startups.
What Kerala gets
A direct line to the Nordic ocean and energy economy.
- AccessA direct line to four Nordic governments and their ocean and energy ecosystems.
- PilotsA shortlist of pilots and startup partnerships to take forward in 2027.
- PresenceA visible Nordic presence at Huddle Global 2026.
Moderator
Moderated by Mathew Sebastian.
Partner at SethuIndia and a founding board member of The Institute of Human-Centred Design. Mathew works between design, government and international partnerships, especially between India and the Nordic countries.
About SethuIndia
The diplomacy arm of HCD Institute.
A think tank for people-to-people business and shared know-how.
SethuIndia brings Nordic diplomats and businesses to Kerala, and helps ideas move between them and Kerala's government, startups and investors.
Huddle Global 2026 · 12–13 November · The Leela Kovalam