HYDERABAD: Information technology minister K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday met several business bigwigs in Dubai and consented to partner with Dubai-based companies to invest in Telangana by setting up their business units.
Meanwhile, the Telangana state government has partnered with Tabreed, the leading cooling utility player, to develop best-in-class cooling infrastructure in industrial parks, including in Hyderabad Pharma City.
Over the years, Tabreed, which is to invest Rs 1,600 crore in the state, will develop 125,000 RT (refrigeration tones) of district cooling plants and networks investing up to $200 million. This will provide sustainable long-term cooling services through utility cooling as a service model for process cooling and storage requirements of industrial units.
The government signed a MoU with Tabreed to explore district cooling infrastructure in existing and upcoming commercial districts of Cyberabad and other mixed-use development areas that offer the potential to reduce over 200 MW of peak electricity demand resulting in an annual CO2 reduction of 18 million tonnes over a 30-year period while mitigating the heat island effect that will further bolster Hyderabad’s position as one of the best cities to live and work in Asia.
Speaking on the occasion, Rao said “As we embark on a journey towards a more sustainable future, we are delighted to partner with Tabreed, exemplifying our commitment to environmental stewardship by embracing innovative and implementable solutions. By prioritizing cooling as a key action area through cool-roof policies and energy-efficient district cooling, we are shaping a greener and healthier environment for our communities and contributing significantly to our ambitious vision of making Telangana net-zero by 2047.”
Khaled Abdulla Al Qubaisi, chairman of Tabreed, said that the collaboration with the Telangana government represents a watershed moment in the evolution of sustainable infrastructure development. “We are bringing our expertise in district cooling to the world's largest net zero pharmaceutical cluster and also the extremely high-tech industrial zone,” he said.
Rao met Abdul Jabber, managing director of Hot Pack, which is one of the largest manufacturers of hygienic disposable and packaging products made of paper, aluminum, foam and plastics in the UAE. The firm is planning to expand its operations in India. The minister highlighted Telangana's investor-friendly policies that have made it the preferred destination for foreign investments in India and invited them to consider setting up their manufacturing base in the state.
He met a senior delegation from the UAE-India Business Council (UIBC), which was led by Faizal Kottikolan, founder and chairman of KEF Holdings.
