Telangana CM Reddy meets WEF chief Brende, senior executives of top firms

Hyderabad, Sep 19 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday met World Economic Forum (WEF) President Borge Brende, New Jersey Governor Philip D Murphy, and senior executives of top companies, including Godrej and Amazon, who assured their support for the state’s development initiatives.

Godrej and Amazon also announced fresh investments in Telangana, an official release said.

Reddy held a one-on-one meeting with Brende on the sidelines of the Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI) annual conclave in Delhi, during which the WEF chief pledged full support to the state’s ‘Telangana Rising 2047’ vision.

"I have been reading up. Your state has been doing extraordinarily well in the last 12 months. What are the secrets of leading one of the most successful states?" Brende asked, to which Reddy replied, "Just hard work and support from everyone." Brende invited Reddy to next year’s WEF conclave in Davos and promised to visit Hyderabad soon to explore deeper collaboration, the release said.

Reddy held a detailed discussion with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on the sidelines of the conclave, where both leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in software and technology, life sciences, urban transit, and films.

Murphy assured support for the state’s 'Telangana Rising' vision.

"There are lots of similarities between New Jersey and Telangana. Together, we can make a huge difference for each other’s economies," he was quoted as saying.

The two leaders agreed to proactively organise visits of trade delegations to each other’s states and boost investments to maximise the potential for wealth and job creation.

Murphy also promised support to Hyderabad’s urban and public transport sectors through the New Jersey Transit Authority, the release added.

Inviting top educational institutions from New Jersey, including NJIT and Princeton, to set up offshore campuses in Hyderabad, Reddy assured them full support.

They also agreed to promote and facilitate film tourism.

On the corporate front, Godrej announced plans to establish a new dairy plant for its Jersey Cream brand with an investment of over Rs 200 crore.

Eli Lilly, which recently inaugurated its Global Capability Centre in Hyderabad, will also set up a manufacturing unit in Telangana, with details to be formally announced on October 6 by Reddy and Eli Lilly Executive VP Patrik Jonsson.

Amazon, which has a significant presence in Telangana, announced three major initiatives during its meeting with Reddy.

The company said it would aggressively promote SME sellers from the state on its platform for exports and focus on enabling women entrepreneurs in Telangana to market their products through its ‘Kalakar’ programme.

Amazon also announced plans to work with the state government to set up 100 relaxation centres for gig workers across Hyderabad.

"These centres will provide facilities such as parking, mobile charging, resting and nap areas. They will be air-conditioned and open to gig workers across all platforms," the release said.

Addressing members of the Public Affairs Forum of India, Reddy said Telangana was developing 'Bharat Future City', envisioned as one of the country’s most advanced urban centres meeting global standards. Spread over 30,000 acres in the first phase, the city will feature nine specialised zones, including an AI City, health zone and education zone, he added. PTI SJR SSK SJR SSK KH