Energy the Real Currency of Growth, Says Revanth Reddy

Speaking at Mumbai Climate Week, he stated that to understand 2047, it is necessary to begin with 1947. From 1950 to 1990, India’s top priorities were education and irrigation, during which the country built strong educational institutions — from village schools to premier institutes such as the IITs, IISC, and IIMs — and constructed major dams for power and irrigation.

By 1990, India achieved food sufficiency, improved life expectancy, and earned global recognition for its engineers, doctors, and scientists.

Reflecting on the reform era from 1991 to 2020, the Chief Minister stated that the focus shifted to liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation (LPG). India emerged as a services powerhouse driven by the telecom and software revolution, with global technology firms establishing operations and the country hosting the largest number of global capability centers (GCCs).

He observed that while this phase delivered significant success, the manufacturing opportunity was missed. He noted that especially after Covid, the focus and realisation have changed. Emphasizing that power or energy is the real currency of any economy, the Chief Minister said development is measured by power generation and consumption.

Telangana currently consumes an average of 16,610 megawatts per day. The peak demand recorded last year was 17,162 megawatts, expected to exceed 19,000 megawatts this year, and projected to cross 34,000 megawatts by 2034 as the state targets a one-trillion-dollar economy. Nearly one quarter of the state’s energy, about 24.8 per cent or 25 per cent, is sourced from green power.

The Chief Minister reiterated Telangana’s ambition to grow from a 200-billion-dollar state GDP to a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2034 and a three-trillion-dollar economy by 2047. He outlined the future pillars as Economy, Environment, Education and Skills, Energy, Employment, Entrepreneurship, and wealth creation opportunities for everyone.

He described Telangana’s strategic framework structured into three zones — CURE, PURE, and RARE. Hyderabad has been declared the Core Urban Region Economy (CURE) within the 160-kilometer Outer Ring Road.

The PURE Zone, located between the Outer Ring Road and the 360-kilometer Regional Ring Road, has been dedicated to manufacturing and positioned as a major hub powered by green energy, aimed at providing a “China +1” alternative.

Referring to the combined impact of Covid and climate change, the Chief Minister stated that both have changed the approach of governments, describing the present situation as a climate emergency. He emphasized that growth, investments, and job creation must continue alongside sustainability.

In Hyderabad, he stated that taxes on electric vehicles have been removed, resulting in high EV adoption, while discussions are underway with EV firms for manufacturing investments. Over 200,000 autorickshaws are being retrofitted toward green alternatives, over 3,500 RTC buses are being replaced with electric buses, and the Hyderabad Metro is being expanded from 71 kilometers to over 200 kilometers.

Industries are being progressively shifted from the core urban region to peri-urban zones.

The Chief Minister highlighted sustainability initiatives including the rejuvenation of River Musi, restoration of lakes, strengthening of water and energy grids, and the establishment of HYDRAA, India’s first dedicated environmental police force. Hyderabad is targeted to achieve Net Zero by 2034 and will soon undertake a city-wide carbon footprint audit. Within the next five years, he stated there will be almost no industry or factory within the urban area.

Concluding his address, the Chief Minister emphasized that every unit of power that goes green benefits the state, the country, and the planet, underscoring the need for a manufacturing revolution powered by green energy.