Telangana most successful startup in independent India: IT Minister K. T. Rama Rao

Mr. Rao said while Hyderabad-Bengaluru was best suited for the defence industrial production corridor, the Centre has selected Bundelkhand for the project presumably for political considerations 

Telangana Industries and IT Minister K. T. Rama Rao has said the State by virtue of its achievements on the innovation, infrastructure development and inclusive growth fronts has emerged, in a short span, as the most successful startup in the country.

“Let me talk about the most successful startup in 75 years of independent India, that is State of Telangana,” he told a CII event, citing 125% increase in per capita income from ₹1.24 lakh to ₹2.78 lakh and GSDP growing from ₹4.9 lakh crore to ₹11.54 lakh crore in the over seven years since the State formation.

The Minister, who was addressing Telangana Leadership Summit coinciding with the CII Telangana State annual meeting 2021-22 in Hyderabad on March 2, said innovation was equally important for government and in its policies as evident from the quantum of investments received under the TS-iPASS policy for time bound, single window clearances to industrial projects. Since launch, 18,000 projects with investments totalling ₹2.3 lakh crore and a potential to create 16 lakh jobs had been cleared under the policy.

“Innovation has been cornerstone for many other policy measures of the State, including those related to grant of building clearances and in the fields of rural development and panchayati raj,” he said. Many of the initiatives of the State is also replicated by the Centre, including the Mission Bhagiratha project of piped water supply to every household and the Rythu Bandhu scheme of input subsidy to farmers. Also for enhanced agriculture output, the State government has implemented Kaleshwaram project, the largest lift irrigation project in the world, as well as augmented power availability — installed generation capacity increased from 7,000MW to 16,000MW — with substantial investments.

Mr. Rao, who in recent months had been repeatedly accusing the Centre of ignoring the State for major projects, said while Hyderabad-Bengaluru was best suited, on account of the eco-system already available, for the defence industrial production corridor, the Centre has selected Bundelkhand for the project presumably for political considerations. “Telangana is also a part of India,” he said.

Stating that it is time for India to think on scale as well as the Centre to backup its ideas and slogans with reforms and policies, the Minister urged the CII Telangana team to be reach out to powers in Delhi with the case of Telangana.

Earlier, Invest India MD and CEO Deepak Bagla hailed the initiatives and efforts of Telangana, including one of the most effective single window clearance systems for industrial projects. Noting that leadership mattered, he said while the State GDP, at $170 billion, was more than that of Kuwait and Qatar, there is more it can do with Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka ahead of it and West Bengal fast catching up.