Hyderabad: Telangana is pursuing a planned industrial strategy that is aimed at positioning the state as a national model for sustainable and environmentally responsible growth, IT & industries minister D Sridhar Babu said on Tuesday.Speaking at the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) Excellence Awards 2026, he said the govt was investing in innovation, skill development and industrial infrastructure to support long-term expansion.The minister said Telangana was working to consolidate its strengths in IT, life sciences, manufacturing and deep-tech, while preparing industry and workers for the changes brought by automation and Industry 4.0 technologies. A comprehensive ecosystem was being developed to meet these challenges, he said.Sridhar Babu said future industrial competitiveness would depend increasingly on intellectual property, innovation and the knowledge economy, and not merely on land and capital. He called for closer coordination between industry and academia to bridge skill gaps and create a future-ready workforce. The Young India Skills University, he said, was established to provide youth with industry-relevant training.The govt’s priorities included attracting investment, generating jobs for youth and extending industrial development beyond Hyderabad to ensure balanced growth, he said.Referring to support for small businesses, the minister said Telangana introduced a dedicated MSME policy and was releasing pending subsidies to industrial units in phases. Minimum wages were fixed after consultations with stakeholders, he added, assuring entrepreneurs that the govt viewed them as partners in development.

