India needs to replicate Telangana model: KTR

Speaking at the 'Ideas for India' conference in London, KTR highlighted the progress achieved by Telangana in the last nine years, especially the success of agriculture and allied sectors

Hyderabad: Stressing on the need to replicate Telangana model of development, Industries Minister KT Rama Rao said like the youngest State in the country, India needs to focus on addressing fundamental issues, including welfare of farmers, youth and laying emphasis innovation-based future to emerge as a leader in fourth industrial revolution.

Speaking at the ‘Ideas for India’ conference in London, the Minister highlighted the progress achieved by Telangana in the last nine years, especially the success of agriculture and allied sectors. The event was organized by the global advisory firm EPG in conjunction with Bridge India.

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Quoting Victor Hugo, the Minister said “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come and the Telangana model is an idea whose time has come.” Telangana focused on fundamental issues and achieved lot of success. Similarly, India needs to lay emphasis on these issues to emerge as a leader in the fourth industrial revolution, he said.

The Minister hoped that India could increase the per capita income by six to eight times in the next 20 years. “If we do it right this time, we would surely become one of the most developed nations in the world. What China could achieve in 30 years, India could do in less than 20 years,” Rama Rao said.

The Minister particularly stressed on the importance of investing in human resources to create opportunities in employment and entrepreneurship. Stating that India was replete with natural resources, the Minister said that more importantly, it had a great resource in the form of human resource. Citing that 67 percent of the population was in the age group of 15 to 64, the Minister said India should capitalize on the demographic dividend.

“To make India a developed nation, we need to train the youth to create alternate modes of employment and provide them with as many opportunities in employment and entrepreneurship,” Rama Rao said. Referring to Telangana’s success, the Minister explained how the State ushered in five revolutions in agriculture, dairy, meat and fisheries sectors. Telangana was an arid region and people used to dig multiple bore wells and farmers committed suicides due to financial burdens. In a span of nine years, the State had undergone transformation and turned into fertile State. Farmers now cultivate two crops a year. All this was achieved due to the measures taken up in irrigation, farmer welfare, and other reforms, the Minister said.

“Telangana’s per capita increased by more than two and half times and we now stand first in the country. A State with 2.5 percent population of the country’s population, contributes to 5 percent to India’s GDP,” Rama Rao said. The Minister also reminded that Hyderabad is now home to marquee tech companies and the city is an emerging hub for innovation.

T-Hub, the world’s largest startup incubator, T-Works – India’s largest prototyping centre and We-Hub, India’s first women entrepreneur incubator were all set up in Hyderabad. This apart, TSIC was established to help rural innovators, and TASK – largest finishing school to orient the graduating youth, he said.

While, the State government’s focus was on improving infrastructure and industry, equal importance was accorded to saving the environment. Under Haritha Haram programme, 24 billion saplings were planted in the State. As a result, the highest green cover growth of seven percent in India, the Minister added.