Mining Sector Key to Telangana’s USD 3 Trillion Economy Goal: Dr. Vivek Venkatswamy
Taking a cue from the Central Government’s vision for economic growth, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has set an ambitious target of building a USD 3 trillion economy in the coming years, with the mining sector expected to play a pivotal role in achieving this goal, said Labour and Mines Minister Dr. G. Vivek Venkatswamy.
The Minister said Telangana currently contributes about 2.4 per cent to the national GDP, and the state government is working to increase this share to 5 per cent. As part of this effort, the Mines and Geology Department is implementing several reform-oriented measures to boost revenue generation, resulting in a significant 22 per cent increase in mining revenues recently.
Dr. Vivek Venkatswamy was speaking at the Rashtriya Khanij Chintan Shivir–2026, held at the Mahatma Mandir Convention & Exhibition Centre in Gandhinagar on Friday. Mines Ministers from various states and senior mining department officials participated in the conference.
Highlighting the Telangana government’s commitment to transparency and sustainability, the Minister said the state has adopted the principle of Zero Illegal Mining, Zero Illegal Transport and Zero Overloading. “Though these reforms involve pressures and challenges in the short term, they will yield strong and sustainable results in the long run,” he asserted.
He explained that the state has moved away from the earlier first-come, first-served policy and transitioned to an auction-based system for sand, minor minerals and major minerals, ensuring better price discovery and enhanced accountability.
Illegal mining remains a major challenge, he noted, adding that the government has deployed advanced technologies such as GPS-based vehicle tracking, drone surveillance and satellite mapping to curb violations. Measures are also being intensified across the state to strictly prevent overloading of mineral transport vehicles.
Dr. Vivek Venkatswamy further proposed studying and implementing the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the mining sector to more effectively prevent illegal activities and improve operational efficiency. “Our objective is to ensure that the mining sector makes a substantial contribution to the state budget in the coming years,” he said.
The Minister thanked and appreciated Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy for organising the Chintan Shivir, noting that it reflects the Government of India’s serious commitment to recognising the role of minerals in economic growth.
Emphasising the larger national and global context, Dr. Vivek Venkatswamy said strengthening the mining sector would benefit both the state and the Centre. “With increasing global competition for minerals, India must position itself at the forefront of this mineral-driven economic transformation,” he added.
