Hyderabad, August 14: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of favouring certain states in the allocation of semiconductor manufacturing projects, after Telangana lost out on a facility it had prepared for under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).
“The PM speaks of competition among states that will make India strong. But if the umpire is so blatantly biased, the competition becomes a farce,” Ramesh said in a post on social media platform X, criticising Tuesday’s cabinet decision to approve four projects in Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Odisha — but none in Telangana.
Ramesh alleged that a leading private company’s proposal, initially cleared for Telangana, was approved only on the condition that it relocate to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. He also claimed earlier projects intended for Telangana and Tamil Nadu were redirected to Gujarat.
Telangana’s Industries and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu accused the federal government of discrimination, saying Andhra Pradesh had not even allotted land for the facility, while Telangana had provided 10 acres of prime land near Hyderabad, approved subsidies and fast-tracked clearances.
The setback comes as the state government has been highlighting investment inflows and job creation over the past 18 months. Securing projects in the semiconductor ecosystem has become a key goal for Indian states, with the ISM aiming to position the country as a global hub for electronics manufacturing and design.
