Keralam has long known how to sell its postcard — the languid backwaters, green hills, beaches and coconut-lined villages. But Chief Minister V D Satheesan was keen to impart something more: the Keralam that lies beyond the postcard, on September 14 in Thiruvananthapuram.

At Cliff House, Satheesan met 35 content creators and social media influencers from 19 BRICS member and partner countries, turning an interaction with digital storytellers into an unusual exercise in public diplomacy.

The message was clear. Keralam, he told his international guests, should not be viewed merely as a tourist destination but as a state with a sizeable coastline, expanding ports and aviation infrastructure, a highly skilled workforce and a growing technology ecosystem.

Satheesan underlined Keralam's familiar social-development credentials, pointing to its achievements in literacy and its efforts towards digital literacy, while positioning Ayurveda and holistic wellness as potential areas of global appeal.

The emphasis on doctors, engineers and IT professionals was particularly revealing. Kerala's pitch was not simply come and see us, but also come and understand us and experience the place.

According to authorities, the visitors were taken through different facets of Kerala during their three-day visit. At the Kerala Arts & Crafts Village in Kovalam, they encountered traditional crafts, cuisine and cultural practices.

The meeting carried two messages — one aimed at tourists and another at investors and global audiences.

For Keralam, the bet is on authenticity, which could help enrich the state's international narrative.

The world's cameras are already pointed at Keralam.