Hyderabad: Progressive states like Telangana can compete with large manufacturing countries like China once started thinking and planning right, said IT minister KT Rama Rao on Friday. He was speaking at the Indian Economic Conclave 2021, organized by the Times Group.
Speaking at a virtual chat on ‘States to Watch Out For in the Next Decade’, KTR said: “If India and progressive states such as Telangana start thinking and planning on scale to compete with large manufacturing countries like China, we need to set up large industrial parks and industrial corridors which further translate into economies of scale for our manufacturers.”
KTR stated that IT, life sciences, defense, aerospace, textiles, and logistics are sunrise sectors and that they will help in this direction.
IT Minister recalled that NITI Aayog recommended monetary support of Rs 24,000 crore for Mission Bhagiratha, but the centre failed to give a 24 paisa. “Except praises, Telangana never got any monetary support,” he said.
“In a federal republic such as India, the Centre should support states and work together. But the government of India has to realise that giving proper support to a State which is performing will ultimately help the country,” he said that on March 26.
KTR mentioned the fact that Hyderabad was the city providing the vaccines to all over the country yet weren’t given the proper provisions or funds to continue. “We are a city of international importance and ship out vaccines to 70-80 countries. While we produce 35 per cent of global vaccines in Hyderabad, our vaccine testing lab is 1200 km away in Kasauli.”
He concluded his speech by saying, “Telangana is a performing state which is contributing to the growth of the nation and it’s time the Union government take us into confidence and work together.”