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Top corporate leaders of Andhra origin were in the forefront of endorsing brand Hyderabad and the one-year-old Telangana state as chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) launched his government’s new industrial policy amid much fanfare on Friday.
The big doubts about a possible discrimination post-bifurcation towards the existing industry and businesses, which were predominantly built here by the entrepreneur class of Andhra origin, were also put to rest with the who’s who of business houses seen either sharing the dais with the chief minister or were seated in the front row on government’s invitation.
“You made what we thought as impossible, possible,” GMR group chairman G Mallikarjuna Rao said in praise of KCR while referring to the first power-cut free summer just passed by.
Any company or entrepreneur looking at setting up a plant requires land, water and power. All the three basic requirements have now been taken care of by the government of Telangana, Rao said, adding the new industrial policy and the single-window approval system were truly unique.
Prominent leaders including GVK Group chairman GV Krishna Reddy, Lanco Group chairman L Madhusudan Rao, Dr Reddy’s co-chairman GV Prasad, Sri City chairman and well-known investor Srini Raju, Apollo Hospitals Group joint MD Sangita Reddy, Cyient (formerly Infotech) founder and Nasscom chairman BVR Mohan Reddy besides the GMR group chairman shared the dais.
Ambassadors from Canada, Japan and France and CEOs and businessmen from outside the state such as Ruia group chairman Pawan Ruia, Walmart India CEO Krish Iyer, Micromax managing director Rajesh Awarwal apart from Bhel chairman Prasad Rao also spoke at the event.
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Citing the 14th Finance Commission’s observations, the GMR group chairman said Telangana was one of the two most financially stable states after Gujarat. “And I think Telangana would surpass even Gujarat in the next couple of years under the chief minister’s leadership,” he said.
GMR International Airport played its role in building brand Hyderabad and the group was developing an Airport City with defence and aerospace park and a free-trade zone, Rao said. He also announced they are working on developing an incubation centre and a large convention centre at the airport.
Recollecting his association right from his student days with the city, GV Krishna Reddy said Hyderabad was the only city in the country, which is centrally located, cosmopolitan and endowed with good weather and good people. He always used to promote Hyderabad during his overseas visits and would keep doing so in future. “With this new policy, people will not just walk but will run to take advantage of the industrial policy,” he said.
Let my actions speak: KCR
Launching the policy, KCR declared that the approvals for setting up industries in Telangana would be graft-free, hassle-free and there would be no need for lobbying with anybody in the government.
Under the new industrial policy, the government has shifted all the formalities pertaining to approvals and clearances not only to the online system but also backed up with strict timelines. “Once you file an application and come to visit the city, our protocol officers will receive you and take you straight to my office in the secretariat. We will together discuss your plans over a cup of tea. When you visit the city the second time, the package of approvals and other sanctions will all be ready and I personally will hand them over to you,” the chief minister said.
