Hyderabad: Municipal Administration Minister KT Rama Rao, making a strong pitch for Brand Hyderabad, said the capital was truly a global city in the making. “Stability and security have been hallmarks of the city, key factors that investors look for before finalizing their destination, and the fact that the State has attracted about Rs 2 lakh crore investments in the last six years speaks volumes of the city’s emergence as a strong force on the investment map,” he said.
Stating that about 23 percent of the investments had come from existing investors, the Minister said about 80 percent of the announced investments were already operational.
Participating in an interaction on Brand Hyderabad organized by the Hyderabad Software Exporters’ Association (Hysea) at HICC on Sunday, he said the State government was focused on stability, law and order, able leadership, and progressive policies. “When the new State was formed, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao told us that while new investments are needed, it was equally important to take care of the existing industries as they would be the brand ambassadors to attract future investments to the State and what he predicted has happened,” the Minister said.
The IT industry and allied segments were resilient and that was proved during the recent Covid-19 pandemic, Rama Rao pointed out. The industry shifted to the ‘work from home’ norm in about a week to 10 days and ensured that work was not hampered. “This sends a strong message to the investor community, businesses and their clients about the right investment climate that Hyderabad boasts of,” he said.
Stating that the government was working to ensure the safety of citizens through the use of technology, he said the BJP was resorting to provocation in a bid to garner votes. He said the idea of paying challans of errant vehicle users does not instill responsibility on roads. “Communal harmony should not be compromised for the sake of a few votes. This is the lowest a political party can stoop to, to stall development, to destroy growth. While this can flare up emotions, sustaining on this will be difficult. People have to choose between decisive policies and divisive politics. Say no to hate politics and say no to hatred. There have been no communal tensions so far and the environment has remained peaceful,” he said.
The government, Rama Rao said, was working on bringing new policies and measures with an intent to strengthen the Brand Hyderabad further. He said no single individual or a party could take the full credit for developing Hyderabad as the city had been in existence for 430 years. “It is a confluence of history, culture, heritage, and new-age technologies. The government is working as an enabler. It is the people of Hyderabad, the businesses, the workforce here that are building Brand Hyderabad,” he said, adding that the TRS government was focused on developing the city and the State. “It is not right to claim the credit for Brand Hyderabad. We have worked to keep the brand intact and strengthen it. The city has been there before my existence and will continue to be there. We are working to create an impact,” he said.
