Ernakulam , is a portion of the city of Kochi in central Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. The Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation and the Cochin Stock Exchange are situated here. Ernakulam is known as the commercial capital of Kerala. The Ernakulam Junction is a major railway station of the Indian Railways. Initially, Ernakulam was the headquarters of the Ernakulam District but was later shifted to Kakkanad. Ernakulam was once the capital of the Kingdom of Cochin. It is located north - west of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city has served as an incubator for many Malayali entrepreneurs and is a major financial and commercial hub of Kerala.