Netizens hail KTR’s statesmanship in welcoming OpenAI to Hyderabad despite being in opposition
BRS working president KT Rama Rao earned nationwide praise for endorsing Hyderabad as OpenAI’s first India base, despite being in the opposition. Netizens hailed his non-partisan approach, calling it a rare example of state-first leadership in Indian politics.
Published Date - 24 August 2025, 02:55 PM
Hyderabad: BRS working president and former IT Minister KT Rama Rao has drawn nationwide praise for his statesmanship in welcoming OpenAI to Hyderabad.
Netizens across the country appreciated his non-partisan and State-first approach, even while serving in the opposition. His gesture of endorsing the city as a natural home for the AI giant’s India operations has sparked widespread appreciation across social media platforms.
Responding to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman‘s post on X announcing the company’s decision to open its first India office, Rama Rao had invited him to Hyderabad with its unique advantages as an innovation hub and as an ideal destination for the company. He pointed to world-class facilities such as T-Hub, WE-Hub, T-Works, the Telangana State Innovation Cell, and the Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad, alongside the city’s vast tech talent pool and its record of attracting global majors including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, Apple, and Qualcomm.
KTR also recalled the State’s efforts in positioning itself as the “AI capital of India,” noting how Telangana declared 2020 as the “Year of AI” and rolled out several AI-led initiatives to cement its leadership in emerging technologies.
Netizens were quick to hail his gesture, terming it as a rare instance of a political leader putting State and national interests above partisan lines. “Keeping all differences aside, an opposition leader endorsing his State,” wrote X user Yogesh Sharma. Another user BhartiyNiveshak remarked, “This man lost the election and isn’t in power but look at his message. Compare this with so-called national leaders across parties.”
Several users said the BRS leader’s endorsement exemplified true leadership, with many stressing that his approach should serve as a model for other States. “Opposition leader pitching for investment for his State. I think this has never happened before,” Nirangkush Das posted.
“Pitching for the city even when in opposition. Hats off,” Vikram Mohan commented, while another user T Srikanth posted, “Thank you for showing us what true leadership is, sir. No matter who runs the State, everyone should look after the interests of the state & people of Telangana. Telangana should stand as an example of stable governance.”