KTR woos Tata, Jindal and HUL to invest in state

HYDERABAD: IT and industries minister K.T.Rama Rao on Thursday met with corporate honchos of Tata Group, Jindal Group and Hindustan Lever in Mumbai to seek investments in Telangana’s aerospace, defence, steel, and FMCG sectors.

Rama Rao met with Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Jindal Group chairman and managing director Sajjan Jindal, and Hindustan Unilever Ltd managing director Sanjeev Mehta, among others, to discuss expanding their operations in the state, with a particular emphasis on establishing new units in Tier-II towns and cities.

A press release issued by the minister's office stated that the corporate heads responded positively to the proposals made by the minister and assured to give top priority to Telangana in their future investment plans.

In his meeting with Jindal, Rama Rao invited the Jindal Group to look into the possibility of establishing a steel plant in Bayyaram, a project promised in the AP Reorganisation Act but from which the Centre has repeatedly backtracked. He pointed out the advantages of establishing a steel plant in Bayyaram since the Centre backtracked on the plant even after the Steel Authority of India expressed interest in establishing it.

“This was when there was huge iron ore exploration potential in neighbouring Chhattisgarh and setting up a plant in Bayyaram would be beneficial for the company,” Rama Rao explained. If the Jindal Group was willing to set up a steel plant in Bayyaram, the Telangana government will extend all support, he assured while inviting the group to expand its operations into education, sports, and various other sectors.

Rama Rao asked the Tata Group to prioritise Telangana in their future expansion plans in various sectors. "Tata Group is doing a phenomenal job in the aerospace and defence sectors with Hyderabad as its base. I request you explore the possibility of expanding TCS operations to Warangal,” Rama Rao urged Chandrasekaran.

Since the Tata Group was making big plans in the electronics sector, the minister explained Telangana's pro-electronics policies while encouraging the corporate giant to set up their facilities in the state.

In his discussion with Sanjeev Mehta, he pushed Hindustan Lever to explore investment potential in Telangana's FMCG industry, while noting that the BRS government had set lofty targets for oil palm cultivation in the state, and farmers were being motivated accordingly.

“It is an opportune time for HUL to expand its investments in edible oil production in Telangana,” Rama Rao said. The minister also held a meeting with RPG Group managing director Anant Goenka and discussed investment opportunities in Telangana and other aspects.