Thiruvananthapuram, May 13 (IANS): State-owned Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE) has opened admission for the newly launched Kerala State Institute of Design (KSID), which will be supported by the reputed National Institute of Design (NID).

Minister for Labour and Skills Shibu Baby John on Wednesday handed over the first copy of the prospectus of KSID to NID, Bangalore, vice chairperson C.S.Susanth at a function held here.

John said that they aim to make this an exemplary institute with the support from the faculty and curriculum of the prestigious NIDs.

"It aims to create highly skilled design professionals and also produce a "made in Kerala" brand, with part of the syllabus planned with particular attention to using the state's natural resources, particularly in the handicrafts and handloom sectors," he said.

Located on the outskirts of Kollam district, about 60 km from here, the KSID comes under the state government's apex skill development agency KASE.

The institute aims to draw the finest talent from different parts of the country whose options have been limited to the NIDs in Ahmadabad and Bangalore.

To start with, the institute is offering 10 seats each for three post graduate design diploma courses in Integrated Product Design, Integrated Textile and Apparel Design, and IT Integrated Communication Design, in the academic year beginning mid-July.

On this occasion, Labour and Skills principal secretary Tom Jose said the institute would be a landmark in Kerala's higher education scenario.

The campus is set in a 31,000 sq.ft campus, with state-of-the-art, fully-equipped labs, a computerised library and hostel facilities.