Stating that though the timing of Operation Sindoor was a surprise, Special Chief Secretary, Tourism, Jayesh Ranjan revealed to TNIE team during Hyderabad Dialogues that such an eventuality was taken into account during the planning for Miss World. The senior officer also spoke about investments, investors and startups.
Excerpts
Telangana is now hosting the Miss World pageant and you are in charge. Have there been any changes to the security for the dignitaries in view of the situation at the border?
Yes, certainly. The situation has changed dramatically, particularly since yesterday after the Operation Sindoor strikes began. After Pahalgam, we knew—everyone anticipated —that there would be some kind of counterstrike and retaliation from both sides. However, no one could have predicted the timing of Operation Sindoor. It happened suddenly.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has marked 22 locations where tensions are expected to run high. Consequently, those state governments, including their police forces, must be on heightened alert. These inputs have been incorporated into our planning.
I have said this on many other occasions: Telangana Police enjoys a stellar reputation. People have seen things being accomplished by Telangana Police. Their use of technology, access to tools, etc., is, I believe, unparalleled in the country. And from the DGP down to the last person involved in Miss World arrangements, all of them have this understanding and these inputs. Their planning has gone into much more detail. Two days ago, I attended a briefing in which they explained the security arrangements to the chief minister. Everything looked very thorough, detailed and meticulous. Based on yesterday’s developments, I’m sure they would have upgraded it. I am still not aware of the latest updates, but I have complete confidence in the Telangana Police.
What goes into striking rapport and bringing investments ? How do you go about it? Can you share your experiences?
Over 12 years of working to bring domestic and international investors to Telangana, I’ve noticed a major concern among them—there’s often a gap between what’s promised and what’s delivered. Global CEOs frequently mention this; the documentation looks solid, but implementation tends to fall short.
My aim has been to close that gap, ensuring that promises are fulfilled—and at times, even exceeded. That’s the reputation we’ve developed. That’s the reputation we’ve built. If you ask people who have chosen to come to Telangana versus other states, and if you ask them what mattered the most, they will say that they found the government to be genuinely responsive. Responding doesn’t just mean acknowledging that I have received your message. It means I will think about it, bring it into action, and deliver it as early as possible.
And this approach has worked very well for us. Let me give you the example of Lenskart. It’s a very large company. They currently have a huge market share for glasses, lenses, etc. They also manufacture their own lenses. They have one factory in the north, somewhere in Rajasthan—a mid-scale factory. Since their market has grown so much and the south is a huge market, they were finding it very difficult to supply from Rajasthan.
Lenskart is a start-up, and there has been lots of VC funding. As you know, most VCs are headquartered in Bengaluru and some of the VC leaders are also on the board of the company. Since they are more familiar with Bengaluru, they talked to Karnataka government officials. Karnataka government gave them a very good deal—land close to the Bengaluru airport, good incentives and all the usual stuff. But at some level, they couldn’t strike the right rapport. Then, a startup founder told them about Telangana.
They had more or less settled on Bengaluru but still had a small window of opportunity to explore other options. The startup founder didn’t directly tell them to look at Telangana, but asked them if they’d be open to speaking to someone here. I got the phone number.
I texted the Lenskart honcho saying: “I’m a representative of the Telangana government. I would like to learn more about your project and also share what Telangana has to offer.” He called back a few hours later, and I explained as much as I could over the phone. But I told him that, rather than just phone calls, if he could send someone to Hyderabad, we would be happy to show them the locations, and give them timelines for how things would roll out. He said that they could come in two days. He wasn’t expecting us to organise the programme so quickly.
When they came, they saw the location, and they liked it. They also mentioned that in Bengaluru, they couldn’t resolve one key issue: some of the materials they import needed a dedicated cargo channel. I spoke to the Hyderabad Airport Board CEO and others and gave Lenskart the assurance they needed. Within a short time, they were completely convinced about Telangana. This project shifted lock, stock and barrel to Telangana. In fact, some newspapers in Bengaluru even reported that Lenskart was going to invest there.
When the discussions started in Telangana, the scale of the project was already considerable. But when they saw the location and the way we supported them, they increased it by almost 50–60%, a substantial increase.
Every state offers almost similar incentives. It is the confidence that we can provide to investors that matters. Every state now has a single-window system for approvals (CLN cells)—we were the first to start. So, in terms of parameters, there’s a little variation. Tamil Nadu may be better in one area, Telangana in another and Andhra in yet another. When you look at the totality of the package, one state may score higher than others. But these are the intangibles—the sense of respect, the government’s willingness to roll out the red carpet for you—that make a huge difference. Some of this can’t be put on paper, and it’s intangible. In my experience, these are the factors that clinch the deal.
There have been reports about Apple shifting some of its manufacturing from China to India.
Yes, Apple has already started manufacturing iPhones in India through Foxconn. The experience they’ve had so far has been very positive. In fact, very recently, they took an additional 60 acres of land from us to add more production lines. So, compared to other Apple locations, we are primarily in touch with one vendor—Foxconn. However, Apple works with other vendors as well, such as Wistron, Pegatron and so on.Foxconn is the largest vendor, and they have other manufacturing facilities too. There’s one in Sriperumbudur, which is the oldest, and one in Andhra Pradesh. Our facility is the third.
What we’ve been told is that the experience Foxconn has had here in Telangana has been far superior to other locations. Foxconn also has other OEM contracts, and Apple is just one of them. Because the experience has been so positive here, they are now shifting some of their production lines from other states to Telangana. That’s one update.Apple has announced plans to increase manufacturing in India and source more from here. We are in touch with Apple directly, but we’re not sure how much of the expansion will come to Foxconn, or how much will go to Wistron or Pegatron.
What we need to look at is whether more manufacturing will go to Foxconn. If it does, we stand a very good chance of getting a significant portion of that. However, if it goes to the other players, those companies are located in different states. Wistron, for example, operates in Bengaluru and Pegatron is in Chennai.
The question is whether they have enough capacity to accommodate more Apple manufacturing or if they’re already at full capacity, or if there are other factors that would make it difficult for them to expand there. If that’s the case, they may be open to shifting some of their operations to other states, including Telangana.I’m confident that we will offer a very competitive environment for both Apple and whichever vendor they choose to work with.
You are in charge of industries as well. How will India be impacted by the tariffs announced by America?
When we were in Japan recently, the tariffs were already in place. India is in a strong position. From the outset of the Trump administration, a tough stance on China was expected. With tariffs ranging from 40% to 200%, China is heavily impacted.
Many companies are now trying to reduce their exposure to China, especially for US-bound products. Some are retaining China for non-US markets and developing new hubs elsewhere. This is where the “China plus one” strategy comes in. Seven Asian countries—including Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Bangladesh—as well as Mexico and a few Eastern European nations, are seeing increased interest.
India faces fewer tariffs in comparison. Japanese companies, for instance, have opened second facilities in Vietnam. In Japan, we found many firms evaluating alternatives seriously. In past meetings, they would accept presentations and take months or years to follow up. This time, however, their tone was different. They asked if they could send delegations as early as June. That level of immediacy was unprecedented. The chief minister’s credibility and India’s improved tariff positioning have made a clear impact. We hope to build on that momentum.
There are a lot of heritage sites being showcased to the Miss World contestants. Tell us about the arrangements and security measures.
This year’s Miss World is quite different. Typically, it’s a closed-door event in one city. But because of the support extended by the government, this edition will span 21 days, with the contestants arriving on May 5 and the event formally launching on May 10. It’s the longest Miss World event ever, running nearly 25 days.
While Hyderabad hosts the majority of events, many are happening outside the city, at locations up to 200 km away.
In Hyderabad, for example, the contestants will visit the Charminar, where they’ll experience the Qutb Shahi architectural style. They’ll also visit the Chowmahalla Palace, an Asaf Jahi monument that is a good example of palace architecture. Similarly, in Warangal, they will visit the Ramappa Temple and the Thousand Pillar Temple—examples of Kakatiya-era art and architecture.
Telangana also boasts rich forests, nature and wildlife. Contestants will visit Pillalamarri, where they’ll see a natural wonder. Furthermore, Telangana, like many other states in India, has a tradition of handlooms, textiles and handicrafts. Pochampally, known for its Ikat weaving style, is an important centre for handloom production. Contestants will visit Pochampally and Shilparamam, a crafts village showcasing a wide range of local crafts. Artisans will be present to demonstrate their skills and explain the history of Telangana’s craftsmanship.Handicrafts, temples, cuisine and textiles are all part of the itinerary.
Yadadri temple, which is being developed as a major pilgrimage site, is another stop. For MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism, Hyderabad is emerging as a hub. We’re also showcasing medical tourism, with tours of healthcare and convention facilities.
Security is a top priority across all these activities. Incidents in Goa and Karnataka have affected perceptions of India’s tourist safety. However, Telangana has a good record. All contestants will visit the Integrated Command and Control Centre to see how safety is managed.
The core message is that we’re using every opportunity to showcase Telangana’s strengths as a tourism destination—our heritage, modern tourism, and most importantly, safety.
The Opposition has repeatedly objected to expenditure on organising the pageant
The total cost of organising this event is Rs 54 crore, of which the government’s share is Rs 27 crore. The other half will be contributed by the event organisers. The government has already provided `5 crore for licence fees. Of the remaining Rs 22 crore, the chief minister, our tourism and culture minister etc. have opened as many sponsorships as possible to reduce the government’s burden. While I cannot disclose their names as of now, some sponsors have already come on board. My expectation is that by the time the finale occurs on May 31, we will have covered this remaining balance as well. See, the amount of Rs 54 crore is not huge, considering that the government has a budget of over Rs 2 lakh crore. To view Rs 22 crore as an enormous expenditure is misleading, especially since we are covering this through sponsorships. Ultimately, the government’s burden will likely be just `5 crore.
What economic or tourism benefits does the government anticipate?
We’ve consulted economists and finance experts, and the potential benefits are substantial. As mentioned earlier, the global perception of Indian tourism remains focused on a few iconic sites like the Taj Mahal. Changing that requires sustained visibility.
Kerala’s “God’s Own Country” campaign, started in the 1990s, shows how long-term branding works. Telangana’s participation in Miss World will help accelerate that process.
Promoting Telangana through isolated booths or tourism fairs would require far greater spending over the years. This event offers high-value exposure in a condensed timeframe. Places like Ramappa Temple and Chowmahalla and Falaknuma palaces will gain recognition, and we will get back our investment 100 times over the next 20–30 years.
Is there any connection between investments and hosting world events?
There is a very direct connection. When investments come to India, states compete to attract them. Now, I’ve noticed post-COVID, there is an emerging factor—employee sentiment. Companies are increasingly concerned about which city their employees will feel happiest in. The work-from-home trend has shown companies that employees will leave a city they don’t enjoy and choose to work remotely instead.
For young people, entertainment, tourism, cuisine, restaurants, shopping, sports and culture matter greatly. Hyderabad, for instance, has attracted many tech investments and GCCs, largely because of its appeal to young employees. When companies see that the government is taking steps to create an attractive ecosystem, their confidence in the city grows.
Second, we recently introduced a tourism policy that encourages private-sector investment in tourism. We want investors to create resorts or hotels near the Ramappa Temple. Telangana has many wildlife sanctuaries and beautiful river backwaters, but the infrastructure is underdeveloped. The policy aims to bring in private sector investment in such areas.
How will such events impact local people?
This is well-documented in many studies and data shows that tourism creates many in-situ jobs. For example, in Kerala or Goa, most workers in kitchens or restaurants are locals. The hospitality industry generates many local jobs, which do not require high qualifications. This is the first advantage—local employment in your own neighbourhood, without having to migrate. The second advantage is the creation of support services. For example, if a resort opens in the vicinity of Ramappa Temple, local taxi drivers and other service providers will also benefit. So, a single resort could create at least 500 local jobs and have a ripple effect on the economy at a hyper-local level.
TNIE team: Kalyan Tholeti, VV Balakrishna, B Kartheek, Siddhardha Gattimi, Vennapusala Ramya, Shreya Veronica
Photographers: Vinay Madapu, Sri Loganathan Velmurugan