The state government, a major partner of BioAsia 2017, is taking it as an opportunity to showcase its industrial potential to attract more investors in the fields of biotechnology, pharma, IT, healthcare and medical devices sector. As a part of this, the government has also devised a unique industrial policy called TS-iPass to facilitate hassle free and transparent industrial approvals. Jayesh Ranjan, Principle secretary, department of Industries, Commerce and Information Technology,
Government of Telangana, in an online interview with Amguth Raju, dwells on the various initiatives taken up by the state government to boost industrial growth and attract new investors into the state.
Please tell us about BioAsia and how is the Telangana government utilizing this platform?
BioAsia is an annual biotechnology and life sciences conclave hosted in Hyderabad since its inception. Right from the beginning the state government has been partnering with this event and facilitating all the support from the government’s side to make it a big success. This year too we are the major partners of this event and want to showcase our strengths and potentials to the global investors from this platform and we are hopeful the 14th edition of BioAsia 2017 will become a big success and pave way for more innovations and growth in the coming days.
How do you see the growth of biotechnology and life sciences industries in Telangana?
The pharma and biotechnology ecosystem in and around Hyderabad cannot be matched by any other city in India. The Genome Valley in Hyderabad is the first and only successful cluster for life sciences. The state already contributes to about 30 per cent of the pharmaceutical production in the country and 1/5th of the vaccine production.
Could you please give a glimpse of the ambitious Pharma City project of Telangana?
The ambitious Pharma City project of the state government will create an integrated and unmatched ecosystem for the pharmaceutical industry. It will offer a plug-and-play facility for companies to immediately start operations. The park will have all the common elements of infrastructure such as R&D centers, testing facilities, Pharma University, skilling centres, common utilities including CETPs/ ZLDs, reliable power and water, among others. The government is in advanced stages of securing the clearances applicable for the entire park, which will make it much easier for the companies to establish units and commence operations in a quick time. The project will help create one lakh direct jobs and another two lakh indirect jobs. We are also in the process of expanding the Genome Valley and strengthen the ecosystem in the cluster. A medical devices park is also under development, making Telangana the hub for life sciences sector in India and perhaps Asia.
What are the incentives offered by the state government for boosting the industrial activity in the state?
The Government of Telangana offers an excellent package of incentives to new investors and entrepreneurs. Within a short span of two and a half years, the state has made rapid progress in economic and infrastructure growth and is progressing today at more than 16 per cent, almost double the rate, at which India is growing. Under our new industrial policy, this makes time- bound clearances within 15 days and has set a new bench mark in transparency and efficiency. We have till date accorded approvals to over 2500 units, about half of which are already into commercial production. I may add that an investing company needn’t meet anyone as the entire process is based on an online self certification mechanism. In order to have focused approach, we have identified 14 thrust sectors with a provision to have a customized policy for units investing in these sectors depending upon their specific needs.
How do you rank Telangana in terms of industrial growth in India?
It is no surprise that on the World Bank’s EODB ranking scale for all Indian states, we have been consistently ranked no. 1 and the state’s capital city Hyderabad, is ranked as the best city on Mercer’s Quality of life index consistently from 2014 onwards for three years in a row.
What is the unique selling preposition (USP) of Telangana and what are your strengths?
The USP of Telangana state is its cosmopolitan culture. Particularly the city of Hyderabad offers a conducive environment for setting up different kinds of industries. Right from IT, pharma, biotechnology and manufacturing & services sectors have set up their global bases in Hyderabad. Another important thing is the friendly industrial policy TS-iPass, which is unique of its kind that offers all kinds of approvals and permits in just 15 days period. The entire process is transparent, done online and based on self certification. There is no scope for any kind of corruption and red-tapism.
In fact today, the city of Hyderabad has become home to the four most valued companies in the world (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook; and five of the top 10 if we add the 8th most valued company Amazon to this list). Each of these five companies, have set up their largest technology development centres in Hyderabad outside of their headquarters in the US. No other city in the world enjoys such an enviable distinction. Equally illustrious names figure as investors in the manufacturing sector like Boeing in the aerospace sector, and a host of top companies in the pharmaceuticals and life sciences sectors.