Revanth Reddy To PM: Recognize Hyderabad-Bangalore Defence Corridor, Approve ₹24,000 Cr Metro Plan

Telangana Chief Minister K. Revanth Reddy met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday to seek approval for two large projects critical to the state's infrastructure and military industries. His principal goal was to obtain approval for the ₹24,269 crore Hyderabad Metro Rail Phase-II expansion and official recognition of the projected Hyderabad-Bangalore defence production corridor.

CM Reddy outlined four key areas during a thorough presentation at Bharat Mandapam: metro rail network expansion, regional connectivity infrastructure, semiconductor ecosystem development, and the strengthening of Telangana's defence manufacturing sector.

He urged the Prime Minister to expedite cabinet clearance for the Metro Phase-II project, which involves a 76.4 km extension across five corridors. The first phase, which covered 69 km over three corridors, was completed at a cost of ₹22,000 crore. For Phase-II, the Centre is expected to contribute 18% (₹4,230 crore), while the state will provide 30% (₹7,313 crore). The remaining 48% (₹11,693 crore) will be raised via debt.

"No metro expansion was taken up over the last 10 years under the previous administration. Our government has now submitted a complete proposal for Phase-II," Reddy told PM Modi. He added that the proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on November 4, 2024, and all follow-up clarifications have already been addressed.

Reddy cited recent approvals of similar projects in other states - Chennai Metro Phase-II (₹63,246 crore) in October 2024, and Bangalore Metro Phase-II (₹14,788 crore) and Phase-III (₹15,611 crore) in April 2021 and August 2024 respectively - to underscore Telangana's case.

The Chief Minister also sought support for the Regional Ring Road project encompassing northern and southern corridors around Hyderabad. The northern corridor, stretching from Sangareddy to Choutuppal, passes through key towns such as Narsapur, Toopran, Gajwel, Jagdevpur, and Bhongir. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has already begun land acquisition, with Telangana agreeing to bear 50% of the cost. Over 90% of the land acquisition awards have been submitted, and tenders issued.

Reddy emphasized the importance of concurrent development of both northern and southern segments of the ring road, citing the overburdened Outer Ring Road, which now sees more than one lakh vehicles daily. He warned that delays in developing the southern corridor would drive up project costs.

In addition to road connectivity, the Telangana government has proposed a parallel 370-km Regional Ring Railway and a greenfield expressway from Bandar Port to a dry port near Hyderabad, aimed at enhancing the state's pharmaceutical industry logistics.

Highlighting Telangana's growing semiconductor ecosystem, home to global R&D centres of AMD, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Foxconn, and Kaynes, Reddy requested central support under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). He argued that the state offers industrial land, a skilled workforce, seismic safety, and robust infrastructure, making it ideal for semiconductor investment aligned with India's goal of $500 billion in electronics production by 2030.

He also pushed for formal notification of the Hyderabad-Bangalore defence manufacturing corridor. According to Reddy, while other states receive favourable policy support, Hyderabad, despite being a mature defence manufacturing ecosystem, is often overlooked. The city currently hosts over a dozen Defence PSUs, more than 1,000 MSMEs, and global defence firms such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, GE, Safran, and Honeywell.

To boost the sector further, the CM urged the Centre to fast-track approvals for defence joint ventures, ensure assured orders for OEMs, and introduce a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme tailored to defence MSMEs, which typically involve high investment and longer gestation periods. He also proposed that Hyderabad host the next edition of DefExpo, emphasizing the city's position as a major hub for Make in India aerospace and defence production.

Revanth Reddy was in Delhi to attend the 10th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog. Following his meeting with the Prime Minister, he also called on Union Heavy Industries Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy to discuss state-related issues.

(With inputs from PTI)