"We are focusing on developing 10 'Pharma Villages' to decentralise pharma production, taking manufacturing closer to rural areas"

With the Revanth Reddy led Telangana government completing its first year in office, Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the Department of IT and Industries, shares his optimism about Telangana's future as a vibrant industrial hub.

Particularly in life sciences and pharmaceuticals, the state has made significant strides in attracting investors. In this candid conversation, Jayesh Ranjan highlights the government's initiatives, investor-friendly policies, and plans to boost the state's industrial growth further and solidify its position as a national leader in innovation and manufacturing. Edited excerpts;

What key initiatives and strategic changes is the Telangana government implementing to attract investments in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, and how do these differ from previous policies like TS-IPASS?

Ever since the new government led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy took charge in November 2023, over the past year, the government has taken various measures to support the existing industries and at the same time attract new investments in pharma, life sciences and other allied industrial sectors. Telangana state has a well-established pharma and biotech base with supporting academic and research institutions under public and private sectors providing the necessary skilled manpower needed for the industries. This is the main advantage for us to pull in more domestic and global investors to the state. In the past year, we could successfully attract investments worth over Rs 36,000 crore in the life sciences sector. These investments span more than 140 projects and include contributions from both Indian companies and global organisations. This highlights Telangana's commitment to building a business-friendly and supportive environment for the life sciences industry.

The government is now preparing to launch a new life sciences policy, which promises to streamline processes and simplify regulations for companies interested in starting or expanding their operations in the state. This upcoming policy will also offer special incentives to attract more investments, ensuring businesses can operate smoothly and efficiently.