Telangana Minister Invites Australian Firm Orica to Expand Operations in Hyderabad

IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu urged global explosives leader Orica to bolster its presence in Telangana during a high-level meeting in Melbourne on Wednesday, highlighting the state's thriving Global Capability Centre (GCC) ecosystem and supportive policies. Orica, headquartered in Australia and renowned for its innovations in mining and infrastructure, already employs nearly 600 professionals at its Hyderabad GCC focused on digital engineering, automation, and analytics. The invitation aligns with Telangana's aggressive push to become a nexus for industrial tech, amid a national drive to attract foreign direct investment exceeding $80 billion in the past fiscal year.

Babu, on an official tour to forge international ties, emphasised Telangana's world-class infrastructure, including the sprawling Hyderabad IT hubs and green industrial corridors, alongside incentives like tax rebates and streamlined approvals under the state's Industrial Policy 2020. He spotlighted opportunities for Orica to collaborate on sustainability initiatives—such as low-emission blasting technologies—and digital tools revolutionising mining and manufacturing, sectors where India ranks third globally in mineral production. "Telangana is not just a destination; it's a partner in innovation," Babu stated, underscoring the state's 15% annual growth in GCC jobs, which now support over 1.5 lakh professionals.

Orica CEO and Managing Director Sanjeev Gandhi praised the government's hands-on engagement, reaffirming the firm's dedication to scaling operations in India. "We value our partnership with Telangana and look forward to exploring new avenues of growth and innovation," Gandhi said, signalling potential expansions in R&D and supply chain integration. Founded in 1874, Orica serves over 100 countries, providing explosives for 90% of the world's mining blasts, and its Hyderabad centre exemplifies Australia's deepening economic links with India, bolstered by a bilateral trade volume surpassing A$30 billion annually. This dialogue follows recent pacts, like the Australia-India Critical Minerals Partnership, aiming to secure supply chains for electric vehicles and renewables.

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The Melbourne rendezvous forms part of Babu's week-long Australian itinerary, which also witnessed a pivotal Letter of Intent (LoI) signing between Telangana and RMIT University, fostering academic exchanges in AI and engineering. Such moves position Telangana as a frontrunner in the GCC boom, projected to add 500,000 jobs nationwide by 2030 per NASSCOM. As global firms eye India's demographic dividend, Orica's potential growth could catalyse ancillary sectors like logistics and skill development, injecting vitality into the state's $100 billion economy while addressing environmental concerns in resource-heavy industries.

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