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Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, seeking crucial approvals for the Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase-II project, estimated at ?24,269 crore, and official recognition for the Hyderabad-Bengaluru defence manufacturing corridor. During a comprehensive presentation at Bharat Mandapam, CM Reddy outlined four key areas for the Prime Ministers consideration: metro rail expansion, regional connectivity infrastructure, semiconductor ecosystem development, and growth in the states defence manufacturing sector. The proposed Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase-II aims to expand the existing network by 76.4 km across five new corridors. The current Phase-I, covering 69 km across three corridors, was built at a cost of ?22,000 crore. Under the proposed funding model for Phase-II, the Centres share would be 18% (?4,230 crore), the state governments contribution 30% (?7,313 crore), with the remaining 48% (?11,693 crore) to be secured through debt financing. No expansion has been taken up in the last 10 years by the previous government. The present government has submitted comprehensive proposals for Phase-II expansion, Reddy informed the Prime Minister. The state government had already submitted these proposals to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on November 4, 2024, and has since provided all requested clarifications. Reddy highlighted that similar metro expansions in Chennai and Bengaluru have received central approval, urging comparable support for Hyderabad. CM Reddy also pressed for the approval of the Regional Ring Road around Hyderabad, encompassing both northern and southern corridors. The northern section, extending from Sangareddy to Choutuppal, will connect key towns including Narsapur, Toopran, Gajwel, Jagdevpur, and Bhongir. While land acquisition for the northern corridor is underway with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Reddy stressed the need for simultaneous development of both sections. He cited traffic saturation on the existing Outer Ring Road, which now handles over one lakh vehicles daily, warning that delayed implementation of the southern part would lead to significant cost escalation. Furthermore, the state proposed a Regional Ring Railway to run parallel to the 370-km ring road and a greenfield expressway from Bandar port to a dry port near Hyderabad to bolster the pharmaceutical sector. Highlighting Telanganas robust semiconductor ecosystem, which hosts global R&D centers for companies like AMD, Qualcomm, and NVIDIA, and manufacturers such as Foxconn and Kaynes, Reddy sought the Centres support for Indias Semiconductor Mission (ISM) projects. He emphasized Telanganas advantages, including seismic safety, industrial land availability, a skilled workforce, and strong infrastructure, making it an ideal location for semiconductor investments aligned with the national target of $500 billion in electronics production by 2030. In the defence sector, the Chief Minister requested official notification of the Hyderabad-Bengaluru defence corridor. He pointed out that while other states receive policy support, mature ecosystems like Hyderabad, which house over a dozen Defence PSUs, more than 1,000 MSMEs, and have attracted global majors like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and GE, are often overlooked. Reddy specifically called for fast-track approvals for defence joint ventures, assured government orders for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and the implementation of a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for defence MSMEs, which face high investment costs and long gestation periods. He also expressed Telanganas keen interest in hosting the next DefExpo in Hyderabad, reinforcing the citys status as Indias largest manufacturing hub for aerospace and defence. CM Reddys visit to the capital also included his attendance at the 10th governing council meeting of NITI Aayog, and a separate meeting with Union Minister for Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy to discuss state-specific issues. |
