Manmohan Singh statue to be unveiled in Hyderabad on his birth anniversary
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will unveil a bronze statue of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in Hyderabad on Saturday, 25 September 2026, marking the late leader's birth anniversary. The statue has been installed at Wipro Circle in Gachibowli, one of the city's prominent IT hubs, in a tribute that the state government has framed as a lasting symbol of his economic and political legacy.
Statue and Ceremony Details
Hyderabad In-charge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar inspected the arrangements for the unveiling on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, he described the statue not merely as a memorial but as 'an enduring symbol that will remind future generations of Dr. Manmohan Singh's role in nation-building, his economic foresight, his commitment to public service, and his unassuming leadership.'
Prabhakar said Dr. Singh's name would 'remain etched in Indian history as a globally-respected economist and a leader who laid strong foundations for the country's economic progress.'
Honouring the Architect of 1991 Reforms
Minister Prabhakar recalled that the economic reforms initiated by Dr. Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister in 1991 were pivotal in reshaping the Indian economy. He noted that Dr. Singh's decade-long tenure as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 yielded landmark legislation and social programmes, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the Right to Information Act, and the Right to Education Act — measures that, critics and supporters alike acknowledge, significantly expanded rights and opportunities for millions of citizens.
Prabhakar also highlighted a personal dimension, stating that having worked under Dr. Singh's guidance as a Member of Parliament during his premiership was 'a matter of great pride,' and that central support for the development of the Karimnagar parliamentary constituency was made possible by Dr. Singh's cooperation.
Telangana's Debt to the UPA Era
A central thread in the ceremony's messaging is Telangana's acknowledgement of Dr. Manmohan Singh's role in the state's formation. The then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, led by Dr. Singh, initiated the bifurcation process in 2009 and saw it through to the passage of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act and the formal creation of Telangana as a separate state in 2014. The Telangana government has officially recognised this as a historic contribution of the UPA administration.
The choice of Gachibowli — the nerve centre of Hyderabad's technology sector — as the site for the statue is itself symbolic. Dr. Singh's liberalisation policies in the early 1990s are widely credited with catalysing the IT and software services boom that transformed cities like Hyderabad into global tech destinations.
Legacy and Significance
This comes amid a broader effort by the Congress party and state governments it governs to commemorate Dr. Singh's contributions in the wake of his passing. The Gachibowli statue places his image squarely within the economic transformation he helped engineer. Notably, Dr. Singh remains a rare figure who commanded bipartisan respect in life — an uncommon distinction in contemporary Indian politics.
The unveiling is expected to draw senior Congress leaders and Telangana government officials; the state government is likely to use the occasion to reinforce the UPA's legacy ahead of the political cycle.