He invited Tamil Nadu’s industry to partner in Telangana’s growth, describing the two states’ strengths as complementary rather than competing.
Delivering the keynote address at the Chennai Roadshow of the Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026, organised with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Sridhar Babu requested industry captains to make Telangana their second home.
“We have not come to Chennai to compete with Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has its strengths, and they are formidable. Telangana has its own. We have come with humility, to ask you to be part of our journey,” the Minister said.
Babu also highlighted Tamil Nadu’s engineering heritage, from the survey school founded in 1794 that became the College of Engineering, Guindy, to the automobile hub of Chennai, the electronics clusters of Sriperumbudur and Oragadam, Hosur’s electric two-wheeler industry and the ports of Chennai, Ennore and Thoothukudi.
“Tamil Nadu teaches India that industry is not built by land or capital alone. It is built by educated hands and confident minds,” he said.
Recalling his visits to Coimbatore and Tiruppur, Babu said MSMEs “are not the small part of India’s economy. They are the strong part of India’s economy.”
He said Telangana’s MSME Policy draws on this lesson, offering easier credit, market access, technology support and dedicated industrial parks for small enterprises.
The Minister termed Telangana as India’s youngest state, “young, hungry and in a hurry”.
He highlighted Hyderabad’s rise as a global technology hub and home to a fast-growing community of Global Capability Centres, Genome Valley’s production of a third of the world’s vaccines, the state’s aerospace manufacturing base and T-Hub, one of India’s largest startup ecosystems.
Telangana Rising 2047 vision is being driven by Bharat Future City, a net-zero greenfield city with an AI City and India’s first dedicated Mobility Valley; the Young India Skills University; the Regional Ring Road and new industrial corridors; the Musi Rejuvenation Programme; and the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park in Warangal, Babu noted.
Investors would find time-bound approvals through TG-iPASS and “a government that picks up the phone”, he assured.
Setting out the case for partnership, the Minister highlighted opportunities for Coimbatore pump makers to set up second plants in Telangana to serve central and northern India, for Tiruppur knitwear entrepreneurs to work with Telangana cotton in Warangal, and for Chennai auto-component suppliers to build EV electronics with Hyderabad’s engineers.
“When Tamil Nadu and Telangana work together, South India grows stronger. And when South India grows stronger, India moves forward,” he said.
On the sidelines of the roadshow, the Minister held one-on-one meetings with senior industry leaders and interacted with diplomats and trade representatives from Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Sri Lanka, Russia, Thailand and Malaysia, discussing investment and collaboration opportunities in Telangana.
V. Chari, Chairman, CII Chennai Zone, delivered the welcome address and vote of thanks.
Senior officials of the Government of Telangana –Shashanka, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, TGIIC; Krishna Aditya, Special Secretary, Industries & Commerce; and Nikhil Chakravarthy , Commissioner, Industries & Commerce – presented the state’s investment opportunities.
The Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026 will be held from 7 to 9 December 2026 at Bharat Future City, Hyderabad.