Kochi, Aug 27 (IANS): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday assured investors of a perfect business environment here and welcomed business houses willing to invest, highlighting the excellent connectivity enjoyed by this southern state.

Vijayan's statement comes at a time when Kerala is seeking considerable foreign investment in the state to trigger growth. Vijayan was speaking at the investors' conference on 'Kerala-Qatar Investment Opportunities' at the inauguration of Doha Bank's Kochi branch.

"The government is committed to developing world class infrastructure to encourage investments. I invite the government and the businessmen in Qatar to consider investing in our state. We assure the perfect climate for investors," said Vijayan.

He also pointed out that in spite of being one of the smaller states, Kerala has four airports and a number of seaports contributing to the development of industry, trade and commerce.

"The areas that are open to investors include tourism, traditional industries, agro processing, IT, logistics and healthcare," said Vijayan.

Chief Executive Officer, Doha Bank, R.Seetharaman pointed out that Kerala aims to have an average growth rate of 9.5 per cent in the current fiscal.

Seetharaman said: "Its strategic location on the trans-national trade corridor, rich natural resources, and simple and transparent procedures make the state favourably suited for investments."