HYDERABAD: There has been a significant increase in cultivated area in Telangana since 2014. The Economic Survey 2025-26 attributed this increase, around 70%, to the Kaleshwaram project and Mission Kakatiya undertaken by the state government.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the survey report in Parliament on Thursday.
“In Telangana, the cultivated area, which stood at 1.31 crore acres in 2014, increased to 2.2 crore acres by 2023-24 due to major flagship projects, such as the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project and Mission Kakatiya (tank rejuvenation). Therefore, access to irrigation facilities, aligning crops with natural resource endowments and using climate-resilient high-yielding variety seeds, among other interventions, are imperative for improving yields,” the survey said.
The Economic Survey, however, pointed out that many major rice-producing states, including Telangana, had yield per hectare lower than the national average.
Praise for WE-Hub
Stating that several states are promoting women’s participation in the workforce through innovative, partnership-based models, the survey said that Telangana’s WE-Hub connects women with start-up ecosystems and investors.
The survey noted that Telangana has removed restrictions on women working in a wider range of industries and commercial establishments.
Fire safety regulations have also been streamlined through the use of accredited third parties in Telangana, the survey added.
According to the survey, seven states accounted for around 60% of employment in the manufacturing sector with Telangana (5%) being one of the major contributors behind Tamil Nadu (15%), Gujarat (13%), Maharashtra (13%), Uttar Pradesh (8%), Karnataka (6%) and Haryana (6%).
Mentioning that state governments introduced digital systems to address issues related to the registrations, the survey said that Telangana government has a single digital platform with the revenue, stamps and registration departments integrated with the Bhu Bharati portal.
The survey also said that in 2024-25, Telangana stood second in paddy production with 17.45 million tonnes behind Uttar Pradesh (20.76 million tonnes).
Telangana’s share in paddy production in the country is 11.62%, the survey said. Similarly, Telangana is in third position in cotton production
with 5.79 million tonnes, contributing 19.47 percent to the country’s total production, it added.