The Global Investor Meet planned in Kochi on January 18 and 19 "is the first ever attempt to showcase Kerala as an ideal investment destination," Chief Minister A K Antony said on Wednesday.

"This is the first ever attempt to showcase Kerala and overcome the perception that the state is not an investor-friendly destination," Antony told reporters after a Cabinet meeting, which reviewed the preparations for GIM.

It was all the more important that a political consensus was emerging on matters of development, he said.

"The response to GIM has been more than what was expected initially.

The whole of Kerala is welcoming the public and private partnership," he said.

Antony said the state's fiscal position had improved compared to the precarious position an year ago with revenue showing uptrend and expenditure declining.

Though the state might not be able to achieve one hundred per cent implementation of annual plan this year, it would certainly be much better than last year. He, however, said the government had not taken any decision to slash the annual plan fixed at Rs 4026 crore (Rs 40.26 billion).