Hyderabad, 9 July 2026 — The Chief Minister's Office of Telangana announced that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy inaugurated a 5.6 gigawatt solar module manufacturing unit set up by Premier Energies in Seetharampur, Rangareddy district, marking the first major facility in the state's newly designated peri-urban manufacturing zone outside the Hyderabad Outer Ring Road (ORR).

Context

Speaking at the inauguration, CM Revanth Reddy said the government has set a firm goal of transforming the entire 2,100 sq km core urban area inside the ORR into a pollution-free zone. He noted that the region is home to 1.35 crore residents whose quality of life is being compromised by industrial emissions, particularly from industrial parks in areas such as Jeedimetla and Balanagar, compounded by pollution in the Musi river.

Quoting the Chief Minister directly: 'aa nagaraala anubhavaala nundi manam paathalu nerchukovalI' ('We must learn lessons from the experiences of those cities'), he cited Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai as cautionary examples of metropolitan areas now facing severe urban crises because timely decisions were not taken.

Policy Backdrop

The Telangana government has enacted legislation to relocate industries currently operating inside the ORR to a peri-urban manufacturing zone beyond it. Land in the manufacturing zone will be allocated to units that relocate from the core urban area. The Premier Energies facility in Seetharampur is the first enterprise to commence operations in this zone — completing its unit in just 12 months, a fact CM Revanth Reddy publicly praised.

The policy sits within the broader Telangana Rising 2047 vision, which divides the state into three regional clusters — CURE, PURE and RARE — and targets a $1 trillion economy by 2034, with the state aiming to rank among India's top states by 2047, coinciding with the centenary of Independence. This framework mirrors national momentum around solar manufacturing incentives and urban decongestation strategies being pursued across Indian states.

Telangana's solar manufacturing push also aligns with India's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for solar modules, which has spurred several states to attract large-capacity manufacturing investments to reduce import dependency and meet renewable energy targets.

Stakeholders and Impact

Premier Energies Chairman Surender Pal Singh Saluja and Managing Director Chiranjeev Singh Saluja were present at the inauguration along with Director Sudhir Moola and Executive Director Revathi Rohini. The event was also attended by Council Chief Whip Patnam Mahender Reddy and Kale Yadaiah, as well as government officials and company representatives.

CM Revanth Reddy also highlighted the facility's showcase of the 'OxyTree' — Premier Energies' first solar-powered street light integrated with an air-cleaning system that uses solar energy to pump oxygen — as a direct response to rising urban air pollution. He called on both the government and citizens to share responsibility for environmental protection, warning that destruction of nature leads to severe consequences.

On workforce development, the Chief Minister said the government is focusing on skilling youth for blue-collar jobs given the competitive pressures on white-collar employment, with plans for Advanced Training Centres (ATCs), polytechnic colleges and a Skills University to build an industry-ready workforce.

What's Next

The phased rollout of the peri-urban manufacturing zone will involve land allotments to industries relocating from the ORR core area. The government's stated ambition is to make Hyderabad globally competitive by attracting further investment and industry, with the 2047 centenary of Independence serving as the long-term planning horizon. Establishment of skill institutions and the operationalisation of the CURE-PURE-RARE regional zoning framework will be closely watched as indicators of whether Telangana's urban-industrial restructuring delivers on its pollution-free and economic growth targets.