Economic Survey credits BRS govt for irrigation sector success
Telangana features among top states in irrigation and startups: Survey
The latest Economic Survey 2025-26 gave credit to Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project and Mission Kakatiya for increasing irrigation facilities to 2.2 crore acres in Telangana. The survey also praised the launch of We–Hub for women to promote the startup ecosystem.
The report noted that “the cultivated area in Telangana, which stood at 1.31 crore acres in 2014, increased to 2.2 crore acres by 2023 due to major flagship projects such as the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project and Mission Kakatiya (tank rejuvenation).”
The report credited the previous BRS government with improving access to irrigation facilities, aligning crops with natural resource endowments and promoting the use of climate-resilient high-yielding variety seeds, which are crucial for improving yields.
The Telangana State also found a place among the country’s top four dynamic hubs, along with Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, which together account for nearly 40 per cent of services output, driven by modern, high-productivity services such as IT, finance and professional services.
The state also played a key role in India’s booming startup ecosystem. Citing NASSCOM data, the survey recorded that Telangana ranks fourth, accounting for seven per cent of India’s Generative AI startups, behind only Karnataka, Maharashtra and Delhi. The growth is widely linked to early ecosystem-building efforts such as T-Hub, which helped nurture the startup culture. On employment, Telangana contributed five per cent of India’s manufacturing jobs despite having less than three per cent of the national population, placing it among the top seven States driving industrial employment.
The survey also highlighted Telangana’s WE-Hub as a model for enhancing female labour force participation, recognising its role in connecting women with startup ecosystems and investors to promote women entrepreneurs.
On governance reforms, it pointed to Telangana’s single digital land platform, the Dharani portal, which has since been changed to Bhu Bharati by the Congress government, integrating the revenue, stamps and registration departments as part of a broader push towards transparent land records.
Labour and regulatory reforms were also appreciated, with Telangana among the states that have removed restrictions on women working in a wider range of industries and commercial establishments.
The state also found a place among those that repealed outdated provisions, amended legacy statutes and decriminalised minor offences. In food security logistics, Telangana was listed among six states where the GPS-based Vehicle Location Tracking System for foodgrain transport has been fully implemented, improving transparency and efficiency.
