Revanth Reddy pitches green-powered $1-trillion Telangana at Mumbai Climate Week
Telangana: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday outlined Telangana’s long-term development vision at Mumbai Climate Week, linking economic growth with environmental sustainability and green energy.
He said understanding India’s 2047 goals required looking back at 1947. Between 1950 and 1990, the country prioritised education and irrigation, building institutions from village schools to premier institutes such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), while constructing major dams for power and irrigation.
By 1990, India achieved food sufficiency, improved life expectancy and earned global recognition for its engineers, doctors and scientists, he said.
LPG reforms reshaped economy after 1991
Reflecting on the reform era from 1991 to 2020, the Chief Minister said the focus shifted to liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation (LPG). India emerged as a services powerhouse driven by the telecom and software revolution. Global technology firms established operations in the country, which now hosts the largest number of global capability centres (GCCs).
He said the manufacturing opportunity was missed during this phase. “Especially after Covid, the focus and realisation have changed,” he observed.
Describing energy as the “real currency” of any economy, he said development is measured by power generation and consumption. Telangana currently consumes an average of 16,610 megawatts per day. The peak demand last year was 17,162 megawatts, which is expected to exceed 19,000 megawatts this year and cross 34,000 megawatts by 2034 as the state targets a $1-trillion economy.
Nearly 24.8%, or about one-fourth, of the state’s energy is sourced from green power, he said.
Three-zone strategy to drive green manufacturing
The Chief Minister reiterated Telangana’s ambition to grow from a $200-billion state GDP to a $1-trillion economy by 2034 and a $3-trillion economy by 2047. He identified the future pillars as economy, environment, education and skills, energy, employment, entrepreneurship and wealth creation.
He outlined a three-zone framework CURE, PURE and RARE. Hyderabad has been declared the Core Urban Region Economy (CURE) within the 160-km Outer Ring Road. The PURE zone, between the Outer Ring Road and the 360-km Regional Ring Road, has been earmarked for manufacturing and positioned as a green-energy-powered hub offering a “China +1” alternative.
Referring to the combined impact of Covid and climate change, he described the present situation as a climate emergency. He said growth, investments and job creation must continue alongside sustainability.
In Hyderabad, taxes on electric vehicles have been removed, leading to high adoption, while discussions are underway with EV firms for manufacturing investments. Over 2,00,000 autorickshaws are being retrofitted towards green alternatives, more than 3,500 Telangana State Road Transport Corporation buses are being replaced with electric buses, and the Hyderabad Metro is being expanded from 71 km to over 200 km.
Industries are being progressively shifted from the core urban region to peri-urban zones, he said.
The Chief Minister highlighted initiatives such as the rejuvenation of the Musi river, restoration of lakes, strengthening of water and energy grids, and the establishment of HYDRAA, described as India’s first dedicated environmental police force. Hyderabad is targeted to achieve Net Zero by 2034 and will soon undertake a city-wide carbon footprint audit.
Within five years, there will be almost no industry within the urban area, he added.
Concluding his address, the Chief Minister said every unit of green power benefits the state, the country and the planet, underscoring the need for a manufacturing revolution powered by clean energy.
