Telangana gung ho on China funds

Hyderabad: While the ‘swadeshi sentiment’ is making big noise in the country to ban products from China, investments from Beijing are most sought after in Telangana and AP. 

Chinese companies dominate the IT and ITeS sectors and the telecom, electronic, power and pharma segments in the state. 

Recently, the government allowed Chinese companies to invest in irrigation and infrastructure projects in the state. 

The state government is also planning to place an order with Chinese companies to make the 125-foot statue of Dr BR Ambedkar, citing their expertise in the field. Similarly, the order for the world’s second tallest statue of saint philosopher Ramanuja in Shamshabad may also go to Chinese companies. 

Kadiam Srihari, deputy CM, had led a delegation to China in February this year to meet sculptors and Chinese firms for the installation of Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s statue. G.Jagadish Reddy, SC development minister who was part of the delegation, said, “Several tall statues in India were  made and installed by Chinese firms. We have referred the matter to the CM, who will take a final call.”

The Ramanujacharya Trust, headed by construction giant My Home’s J. Rameswara Rao, has already asked a Chinese firm to make a 216-foot tall statue of Ramanuja. “India’s expertise in making bronze statues is limited. China is famous for it. It will be shipped and assembled at the site near Shamshabad,” Mr Rameswara Rao said.

Experts said that banning Chinese plastic items, crackers, rakhis, etc will not make much of a difference as long as big ticket investments are allotted to the Chinese companies. 

The Telangana unit of the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM), which is affiliated to the RSS, on Friday demanded the Centre and state governments to ban Chinese goods with immediate effect. It urged the Centre to pass an Act on the lines of the ‘Buy American Goods Act’ to shun Chinese goods. 

“Some state governments, including Telangana government, are holding business meetings to attract Chinese investments. The Telangana CM led a delegation to China last year, seeking Chinese investments. We strongly oppose this,” said P. Srikanth, state convenor of the SJM.

The CM met representatives of more than 90 companies in China and addressed 65 companies in Shanghai. Many major mobile phone units in Hyderabad have inked MoUs with Chinese firms for supplying components. 

The latest to go to the Chinese shores are irrigation projects. The state government has invited Chinese infrastructure company Gezhoba to construct irrigation projects in the state. Furthermore, China’s Leo Group has promised to invest Rs 1,000 crore to manufacture heavy duty pumps in Telangana. 

The MoUs signed between Celkon and Makeno to invest $20 million in Hyderabad to set up mobile phone and LED TV units have already fructified. Andhra Pradesh also is not lagging behind when it comes to Chinese investments.

In May 2015, GMR Infrastructure signed an agreement with Guizhou International Investment Corporation (GIIC), a consortium of three Chinese manufacturing companies, for establishing an industrial park with a proposed investment of $500 million in its Kakinada SEZ project. 

The home grown infrastructure company also collaborated with Chinese companies in its Hyderabad International Airport project. 

In April 2016, Sichuan province in China signed a MoU with AP for mutual co-operation.