Sridhar Babu pitches Telangana to US investors

metro india news  I hyderabad

Minister for IT and Industries Duddilla Sridhar Babu stated that Telangana has emerged as one of India’s most promising destinations for investment in the aerospace, defence and space sectors, with the State recording over 30% annual growth and a 103% compound annual growth rate in exports between 2024 and 2026.

Addressing a high-level delegation from the U.S. National War College at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat here on Thursday, Sridhar Babu invited American companies and investors to partner with Telangana in advanced manufacturing, defence technologies and space systems.

He said the State government was pursuing a focused strategy to position Telangana as a global hub for drones, counter-drone systems, aerospace components and defence electronics, while also building capabilities in cyber security, artificial intelligence in defence, satellite systems and advanced communications.

“From rocket manufacturing to next-generation drones, and from fighter aircraft components to satellites, the ‘Made in Telangana’ footprint is increasingly visible across the world,” the Minister said.

Sridhar Babu said the sector’s rapid growth was being driven by the presence of major global companies such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Safran, Airbus and Dassault Aviation and Telangana is also home to key public sector and defence institutions, including DRDO, BHEL, MIDHANI, BDL, RCI and HAL. More than 1,500 MSMEs engaged in precision engineering, drones and defence electronics are contributing to the State’s growing prominence in the sector, he said.

Referring to the Financial Times FDI rankings, the Minister said Hyderabad had been ranked the world’s most cost-effective aerospace city. Telangana has also received the government of India’s “Best State for Aerospace” award for five consecutive years, he said. The Minister said the State was building a future-ready industrial ecosystem for the sector. Under the TG-iPASS policy, industrial approvals are being granted within 15 to 30 days, while the Young India Skill University is being leveraged to create a skilled workforce for the aerospace, defence and space industries, he said.

Sridhar Babu said Telangana was ready to emerge not only as an investment destination, but also as a long-term strategic partner for the United States in technology, research, manufacturing and skill development.

He invited collaboration with U.S. companies, universities and research institutions in artificial intelligence, cyber security, advanced manufacturing and space technology.

Minister-Counsellor at the U.S. Department of State Paul Narain said the United States was keen to work with progressive States such as Telangana and would take steps to deepen bilateral cooperation in the coming years. The delegation from the U.S. National War College included representatives from the Navy, Army, Defence Security Cooperation Agency,