2025: What Kochi wants

As we grow, our city grows with us. And, we make connections with it over time. Be it a favourite food joint, the beach side, an old corner-of-the-road store, we each have our favourite things about the city we live in. We have dreams for it and want it to better itself too.

MetroPlus speaks to a handful of changemakers from Kochi on what they want for the city in 2025.

Jeemol Koruth Verghese

Entrepreneur, good food activist

Kochi is not just a city, it is a feeling — a place that has given me so much joy and inspiration. This New Year, I dream of a greener, healthier, and kinder Kochi. I hope to see more good food education happening in schools and more people growing food in balconies and terraces. Streets lined with more trees and neighbourhoods filled with the aroma of community kitchens, ensuring no one goes to bed hungry. I have always dreamt of our waterways across the city running clean and sparkling, with people travelling in small boats. Along with a better waste management system, my Kochi will turn into a paradise. I also hope more people talk about civic sense this year, believing that proper education on this can transform our city’s atmosphere and public spaces. Kochi has so much potential, and together we can make it shine. 

Aditi Nayar

Director, Kerala Museum

A massive drive to bring awareness of civic sense, from the family unit to the text book, to schools and residents associations and visiting tourists/migrant population. The amount of plastic everywhere requires the consumer to stop buying and making better choices. A digital detox for parents and children — reduce screen time and spend more time on real connections and the outdoors.

Vishnudev KS, Lakshmi V

Founders, Nisarga Art Hub

We hope to see more inclusive spaces for art. When we started Nisarga Art Hub, the idea was to create a space that broke the conventions of a traditional performance space. And now, we have artistes reaching out to us. For 2025, we want to host collaborations across genres and offer the space to promote lesser-known art forms and those that don’t often get mainstream platforms. Designed by architect Vinu Daniel, the space lends to the experience of the performer and the audience. We have had artistes from all over the world performing here; some of them reached out to us, seeing the uniqueness of the setting.

Nisarga Art Hub is a house owned by musician couple Vishnudev KS and Lakshmi V, in Angamaly. In the heart of a rural setting, flanked by fields, Nisarga’s tiled roof that doubles up as seats, has hosted a number of open air concerts. 

Purushan Eloor 

Environmental activist

For 2025, I wish to see a Periyar full of pure water. As a child, I have drunk clear, pure water from the Periyar. When we started the Periyar Malineekarana Virudhdha Samithi to fight pollution caused by industrial units along the Eloor-Edayar stretch, in 1998, our vision was to have a cleaner Periyar by 2025. Though a lot of work has been done in this direction and we have constantly questioned and challenged policy makers, we are yet to see visible changes. However, we are hopeful. In 2024, the National Green Tribunal issued notices to the Kerala government and the Central and State Pollution Control Boards to explain a mass fish kill in the Periyar. We hope it will be done in 2025 along with the remediation of the Kuzhikkandam canal. I am also hopeful that the free insurance scheme and free drinking water scheme for the people of Eloor-Edayar belt will become a reality in 2025.

Vishal Koshy

Founder, Tropiq Getaways

As a sustainable tourism entrepreneur, I envision a Kochi where city dwellers, especially the youth, reconnect with nature and our heritage. Our suburban communities have long practiced a traditional, self-sustained lifestyle that holds valuable lessons for modern living. I hope more people draw inspiration from these practices to embrace sustainability. While travelling, I urge everyone to adopt the Leave No Trace principles — minimizing waste, respecting wildlife, and leaving destinations as pristine as they found them. Kochi is surrounded by a rich biodiversity and hidden ecological treasures. With initiatives like our electric boat cruise, we aim to help people explore and appreciate these natural wonders responsibly. Beyond nature, Kochi boasts a heritage filled with untold stories and timeless values. Through experiences like our interactions with ethnic communities at Mamalakandam, we hope to ignite curiosity in the youth to learn about the rich traditions and values still preserved in these regions. Together, we can make Kochi a shining example of sustainable urban living that cherishes its past while protecting its future.

Vishnu Pai

Stand up comic, mentor Comedy Lounge Kochi

In 2025, I manifest a year of more live comedy shows! I urge all comedy enthusiasts to attend shows, as nothing beats the energy of watching stand-up live. For those who haven’t yet, this is your year to experience it first hand. As one of the mentors of Comedy Lounge Kochi, Kerala’s largest comedy collective, I encourage more artists to take the stage—don’t fear the mic, we’ve got your back! and last but not the least After a successful 2024 at our performance venue Spotlight Socials, we, the founders, look forward to creating more events, giving artists more stage time, and keeping the laughter flowing across Kerala.