Telangana IT minister woos investors from Singapore

The Dollar Business Bureau

With an aim to attract huge investments into the state of Telangana, the Minister for Information Technology, Industries, Municipal Administration and Urban Development K T Rama Rao visited Singapore and met a number of industry representatives on Wednesday.

The minister held talks with A*STAR(Agency for Science, Technology and Research) agency representatives. This agency works as a bridge between the academia and industry in developing innovative methods. A*STAR expressed enthusiasm to work with the Telangana government’s Research and innovation circle of Hyderabad (RICH)and would be signing a bilateral agreement on the same. The agreement would be for cooperation in the fields of research, commerce, innovation and incubation. A student exchange programme will be organised as part of this agreement. The minister also explained about the ongoing research for the development of small and medium scale industries in the state.

K T Rama Rao met Teo Eng Cheong, who heads the urban infrastructure firm Surbana Jurong.  Surbana Jurong is a premier organisation that offers services related to housing programme infrastructural services to the people of Singapore. KTR informed the minister of the huge housing scheme that the Telengana government had taken up to provide 2BHK  houses to the economically poor sections of the people in the state and expressed desire that Surbana Jurong take up the housing scheme initiative in Hyderabad.

 He guaranteed to offer land for the project. Moreover, he also asked the company to partner with the government in building the 12,500-acre pharma city project near Hyderabad. He explained about the various facilities that would be provided in the pharmacity project.

Assuring KTR of its help in its endeavours, Cheong promised to send a pilot team to visit Hyderabad and study the roads, drinking water electricity and other infrastructure facilities.

K T Rama Rao met the heads of 18 companies during a business session organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Indian High Commission. He explained to them about the Telangana government’s new industrial and IT policy. 

During the course of his visit the minister met the Indian High Commissioner of India to Singapore Vijay Thakur Singh who appreciated the priority given by the newly formed State to Singapore. The minister said that the inputs shared from Singapore have been incorporated in the state industrial policy.

Later, he enquired about the facilities provided in Tuas Industrial Park, Biopolis Park and CleanTech Park in Singapore. Telangana Principal Secretary (Industries and Mines) Arvind Kumar had accompanied the minister in his tour.

(M) Teo Eng Cheong, CEO of Surbana Jurong with K T Rama Rao, Arvind Kumar and others in Singapore on Wednesday.