Telangana CM Pushes Modi on Metro, Defence Corridor

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, urging swift approval for the Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase-II project and official recognition of the Hyderabad-Bengaluru Defence Industrial Corridor.

During a detailed presentation at Bharat Mandapam, CM Reddy outlined four strategic priorities: metro rail expansion, regional connectivity infrastructure, semiconductor ecosystem development, and strengthening the defence manufacturing sector.

The proposed Hyderabad Metro Phase-II, estimated at ₹24,269 crore, aims to add 76.4 km across five new corridors to the existing 69-km network (Phase-I). Reddy proposed a funding model with 18% central support (₹4,230 crore), 30% from the state (₹7,313 crore), and 48% via debt financing (₹11,693 crore). He noted that no expansion had occurred over the past decade and emphasized the state’s proactive submission of detailed plans and clarifications to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in November 2024. Drawing parallels with Chennai and Bengaluru, he appealed for similar central support for Hyderabad.

Reddy also advocated for expedited approval of the Regional Ring Road (RRR) project, covering both northern and southern corridors. The northern segment—from Sangareddy to Choutuppal—is under land acquisition with NHAI. Given growing traffic on the existing Outer Ring Road (over 1 lakh vehicles daily), he warned of cost escalations if the southern segment is delayed. He also proposed a Regional Ring Railway along the 370-km RRR and a greenfield expressway from Bandar Port to a dry port near Hyderabad to support the state’s pharmaceutical sector.

Highlighting Telangana’s thriving semiconductor ecosystem, which hosts R&D centers for global tech firms like AMD, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA, and manufacturers such as Foxconn and Kaynes, the CM sought support under India’s Semiconductor Mission (ISM). He emphasized the state’s advantages—seismic stability, industrial land, skilled workforce, and robust infrastructure—making it ideal for investments toward the national $500 billion electronics production goal by 2030.

In the defence manufacturing sector, CM Reddy called for official notification of the Hyderabad-Bengaluru Defence Corridor. Despite being home to over 1,000 MSMEs, multiple Defence PSUs, and global players like Lockheed Martin and Boeing, Hyderabad lacks policy-level recognition. He requested fast-track approvals for defence joint ventures, guaranteed government procurement for OEMs, and a PLI scheme for defence MSMEs facing high capital demands and long gestation periods. He also proposed hosting the next DefExpo in Hyderabad, reaffirming its status as India’s largest aerospace and defence manufacturing hub.

The Chief Minister also attended the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog and met Union Minister for Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy to discuss state-specific development priorities.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.