Hyderabad, March 16 (IANS) Telangana’s economy remains strong and resilient with an impressive growth rate of 10.7 per cent, Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla said on Monday.
Addressing the joint session of the Assembly and Council on the first day of the state legislature’s budget session, he said the state’s per capita income has reached Rs 4,18,931, and the government has maintained price stability, with inflation contained at 0.2 per cent.
“The state’s GSDP for 2025-26 is Rs 17.82 lakh crore, reflecting an impressive growth rate of 10.7 per cent, with Telangana contributing 4.99 per cent to India’s GDP,” he said.
He noted that over the past two years, the state has taken several focused measures to strengthen the state’s economy. Agricultural productivity has improved through better irrigation support and farmer-focused initiatives. At the same time, industrial growth has been encouraged through investment promotion and improved ease of doing business, while the services sector has continued to expand with growth in IT, trade, tourism, and other emerging areas.
“Standing on the firm foundation of our current economic resilience, we are setting a transformative goal: to evolve Telangana into a $3 Trillion economy by 2047, with an interim target of $1 trillion by 2034,” the Governor said.
Shukla, who delivered his maiden speech after assuming office as Governor last week, stated that Telangana stands at the threshold of an extraordinary transformation with the government shaping a future where every citizen is a stakeholder in progress.
“Every policy, every initiative, and every reform introduced is aimed at creating opportunities, empowering people, and driving inclusive growth. The vision is clear, the direction is set, and the momentum is unstoppable. Telangana would compete with the developed global cities and countries. Taking inspiration from the successful models across the globe, Telangana would like to achieve a $3 trillion economy by 2047,” he said.
He revealed that the government has adopted the CURE–PURE–RARE framework as a polycentric strategy to ensure balanced and inclusive development across the state, moving beyond a Hyderabad-centric growth model. Under this approach, the Core Urban Region—CURE will evolve into a net-zero, knowledge-driven global hub; the Peri-Urban Region— PURE will emerge as a manufacturing and logistics engine; and the Rural Agri Region—RARE will be revitalised through climate-smart agriculture, eco-tourism, and food processing—together creating a unified, resilient, and future-ready state economy.
Stating that Hyderabad is a city of lakes and rocks, he said the government is committed to rejuvenating all the lakes and tanks in the Core Urban Area. The newly established HYDRAA has reclaimed over 1,045 acres of public land and water bodies, securing urban assets valued at approximately around Rs 60,000 crore.
He also stated that the government is revitalising Hyderabad’s ecological corridor through the 55 km Musi Riverfront Transformation Project, extending from the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs to Gandhi Sarovar. Phase I of the project is currently under implementation. As part of Musi rejuvenation, Godavari phase 2 & 3 projects are already sanctioned, and works are in brisk progress. This project will provide 2.5 TMC water for Musi rejuvenation by linking Osman Sagar and Himayath Sagar, and 300 MGD drinking water to the CURE area.
He mentioned that the Future City Development Authority (FCDA), constituted on March 12, 2025, spans about 765 square kilometres across 56 villages and seven mandals and will anchor industrial and urban growth in the PURE region.
At its core will be Bharat Future City, a 30,000-acre greenfield smart city designed on the 15- minute city model with walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods. Development permissions have commenced, and a Comprehensive Master Plan for FCDA is being prepared to guide long-term growth and drive Telangana’s future economy.
The Governor noted that the services sector continues to be the dominant pillar, contributing 68.6 per cent to the state’s GVA and growing at 13.5 per cent. Hyderabad has solidified its position as a global 12 tech hub, hosting nearly 20 per cent of India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
He termed the state’s export performance as ‘stellar’ and said it ranks 7th in India with merchandise exports reaching Rs 1.61 lakh crore, driven largely by the aerospace sector, which accounts for nearly 30 per cent of the exports. Telangana has also been recognised as a “Top Achiever” in the Ease of Doing Business assessment by the Centre.
The IT exports have touched Rs 3.13 lakh crore, supporting over 9.39 lakh jobs. To further boost the economy, the government launched the Telangana Tourism Policy 2025–2030, targeting Rs 15,000 crore investment and the creation of 3 lakh jobs.
Stating that agriculture remains the heartbeat of Telangana, the Governor said Rs 26,684 crore was allocated for this sector in 2025-26. “Our foodgrain production has reached a record 236.87 lakh Metric Tonnes with paddy, maize, and cotton continuing to dominate the landscape. Additionally, livestock and fisheries have shown healthy growth, contributing Rs 1.11 lakh crore to the state’s economy.”
The Governor listed out various schemes being implemented for the welfare of different sections of society. He said that the Mahalakshmi Scheme continues to be a resounding success, with women passengers availing 269.68 crores of free bus trips, saving over Rs 9,222 crore in travel costs, thereby enhancing their mobility and economic independence.
The Mahalakshmi scheme also includes a subsidised LPG cylinder programme that benefits 42.90 lakh eligible households, promoting the adoption of clean energy. Under Gruha Jyothi, free power up to 200 units is being supplied to poor families. 53.09 lakh families are getting benefits under this scheme. So far, the government has spent Rs 3,900.54 crore and issued 10.97 crore zero bills.
Earlier, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Assembly Speaker, Gaddam Prasad Kumar, Council Chairman, Gutha Sukhender Reddy and ministers received the Governor on his arrival at the Assembly.
The Governor unveiled the Telangana Thalli statue in the Assembly premises. He also paid tributes to the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B. R. Ambedkar.
–IANS
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New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday highlighted key achievements of the ministry over the past week, including progress on trade agreements, innovation recognition and export promotion initiatives.
Marking two years of the India-EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA), the minister said the pact has begun yielding results, with Iceland investing $30 million in Maharashtra’s fisheries sector.
“The agreement has created an investment pathway with a legally binding investment commitment of $100 billion over 15 years, with the potential to create 1 million direct jobs,” the minister said on X.
Goyal also said the National Intellectual Property (IP) Awards were presented to recognise contributions from scientists, innovators, MSMEs, entrepreneurs and academic institutions, including IITs, for driving India’s innovation-led growth.
Highlighting support for women entrepreneurs, he said 11 women MSME leaders were honoured with the FICCI FLO National MSME Awards for their excellence.
The minister added that with nearly 65 per cent of developed markets now covered under India’s free trade agreements (FTAs), domestic manufacturers have growing opportunities to integrate into global supply chains.
He further said a meeting was held with members of the Consultative Committee on Promotion of Export of Marine Products, where discussions focused on enhancing value addition, improving global competitiveness, strengthening infrastructure and ensuring better compliance standards.
On the export front, Goyal noted that the first consignment of 25 metric tonnes of GI-tagged Joha rice from Assam has been shipped to the United Kingdom and Italy.
“Earlier, Joha rice was exported to Vietnam and five Middle Eastern countries,” he said.
Moreover, the minister on Friday held a conversation with Patrik Jonsson, Executive Vice President and President, Lilly International, USA, in which he discussed India’s growth, Eli Lilly and Company’s expanding operations and investments in India, and steps to further strengthen ‘Make in India for the world’.
In addition, a virtual interaction between Harry Theoharis, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Greece, and Goyal was held on the same day, during which they discussed ways to further deepen India–Greece cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, maritime connectivity and other areas of mutual interest.
–IANS
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New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has achieved a milestone by adding more than 10,000 ‘shakhas’ in the past year and registering a significant rise in its social activities through initiatives like ‘Milan, Mandali’ and more across the length and breadth of the country, revealed an official document.
“The number of RSS shakhas which stood at 73,117 in March 2024 has risen to 83,129 in March 2025,” shows the official document running in over 76 pages.
The Hindutva outfit has already outlined its objective of crossing the one-lakh mark in ‘shakha numbers’ and adding 2,500 more ‘pracharaks’ by 2025, the year of its centennial celebrations.
Some of the most notable changes in the number of RSS shakhas were found in areas like Karnataka’s Bidar district, Gujarat’s Saurashtra region Rajasthan’s Jaipur and more.
Some states which clocked visible rise and heightened social activity related to RSS shakhas in the past year included Haryana, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.
In Bidar, there were 155 Shakhas at 129 locations in November 2024. As the RSS karyakartas and volunteers engaged in outreach programmes via social activities, Khel Utsav and also online meetings, more and more people came on board. Today, the number of shakhas has gone up to 180 in the district.
In Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district, the active mobilisation by Karyakartas saw the number of shakhas rising from 36 to 54.
In Malva district of Madhya Pradesh, over 9,000 ‘vistaraks’ reached out to 9,859 villages, out of 12,170 villages. More than 4,800 vistaraks stayed there for seven days while over 5,000 stayed for four days. This marked the beginning of 1,116 shakhas in more than 3300 villages.
In Jaipur, 33 shakhas were operational in Ratangarh district by July 2024. Now, the number has risen to 68.
In Western Odisha districts, a special drive was started to facilitate shakha expansion. The number of shakha locations has increased from 572 to 983, and the total shakhas grew from 605 to 1031.
Meanwhile, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday inaugurated a three-day meeting of Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), its highest decision-making body. The high-level meeting which comes in the backdrop of preparations for centenary celebrations is expected to lay out detailed plans and strategies for expanding its outreach.
The RSS will complete 100 years on Vijaydashami this year. The centenary celebrations will take place from October 2025 and will continue till Vijaydashami, next year.
–IANS
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