Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao

KTR has served as the Minister for various key departments including Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Industries and Commerce, and Information Technology, Electronics and Communications. His work in these areas has been instrumental in advancing Telangana’s infrastructure and technological capabilities.

Additionally, KTR is the working president of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), a party led by his father, K. Chandrashekar Rao, who is the former Chief Minister of Telangana. KTR’s leadership and contributions are central to the party’s vision and strategies for the state’s development.

Early life and education:

K. T. Rama Rao was born on July 24, 1976, in the Karimnagar district of Telangana (formerly part of Andhra Pradesh), India. He is the son of K. Chandrashekhar Rao, the founder of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and former Chief Minister of Telangana, and K. Shobha Rao, a homemaker. His younger sister, K. Kavitha, has served as a Member of Parliament for the Nizamabad constituency.

At the age of ten, KTR moved to Hyderabad, where he first attended Amravati Public School in Yousufguda and then Nalanda Public School in Mehdipatnam. He completed his schooling at St. George’s Grammar School on Abids Road. He pursued his Intermediate education at Vignan Junior College in Vadlamudi, Guntur District, and earned a BSc in Microbiology, Chemistry, and Botany from Nizam College, a constituent college of Osmania University in Hyderabad.

KTR holds two postgraduate degrees: an MSc in Bio-Technology from the University of Pune and an MBA with a focus on Marketing and E-Commerce from Baruch College, part of the City University of New York.

In 1998–99, he began his career as an IT professional, interning at INTTRA Inc, a shipping and ocean logistics firm located on Madison Avenue in New York City.

Political career:

Rao began his political career in 2009 when he contested the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections from the Sircilla constituency. He won by a narrow margin of 171 votes, defeating independent candidate K. K. Mahender Reddy.

Shortly after his election, Rao, along with ten other TRS members, resigned from the Legislative Assembly in support of a separate Telangana state. In July 2010, the Andhra Pradesh High Court ordered the Election Commission of India to hold by-polls in Sircilla and several other towns across the Telangana region. Rao contested again in Sircilla and won decisively, this time defeating K. K. Mahender Reddy—who had joined the Indian National Congress (INC)—by a margin of 68,219 votes.

During this period, Rao led a Rail Roko agitation in response to the deployment of police and paramilitary forces by the Kiran Kumar Reddy government to manage the situation. On January 27, 2013, Rao was arrested while attempting to participate in the ‘Samara Deeksha’ (protest) at Indira Park in Hyderabad.

In an interview with a national news channel, Rao called for the introduction of a Bill in Parliament concerning the new state of Telangana. He also emphasized that the forthcoming Telangana government would not compromise on administrative aspects related to Hyderabad being delegated to the union government.

On June 2, 2014, Rao was sworn in as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Telangana and appointed as the Cabinet Minister for Information Technology and Panchayat Raj. He was also named the Executive Working President of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) by the party president and his father, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.

In the 2018 Telangana Legislative Assembly election, Rao successfully defended his Sircilla seat against Kondam Karuna Mahender Reddy, winning by a margin of 89,009 votes.

In the 2023 Telangana Legislative Assembly election, Rao officially filed his nominations at the RDO office in Sircilla. He secured his seat for the fifth consecutive term, winning by a margin of 29,845 votes against K. K. Mahender Reddy once again. Despite his personal victory, his party, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), lost the election and subsequently became the opposition after a defeat by the Indian National Congress.

In August 2024, Rao and other BRS MLAs were evicted from the Telangana Legislative Assembly by marshals in response to their protest against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy‘s disrespectful remarks towards women legislators. They were later released at the Telangana Bhavan, the headquarters of their party.

Role as Minister:

Minister for Information Technology:

Shortly after taking office, Information Technology (IT) Minister K. T. Rama Rao updated the Chief Minister on major projects aimed at advancing Hyderabad’s development during a review meeting on the Information Technology and Investment Region (ITIR) Policy.

In December 2014, Rao, alongside the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) Chairman, engaged in discussions with the CEO of Smart City in Dubai to explore opportunities for developing Hyderabad under the ITIR framework. During this period, Rao also met with Yusuff Ali M A, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group, who announced an investment of 2,500 crore in Telangana’s FMCG sector for 2015–16. Additionally, Rao visited the Sonapur camp in Dubai to connect with approximately 20,000 migrant workers from Telangana residing there.

Rao invited several prominent industry leaders, including Adobe Inc. CEO Shantanu Narayen, Biocon Chairman Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, and Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy, to mentor young entrepreneurs in Telangana.

In December 2015, Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka met with Rao during his visit to T-Hub, following which Infosys announced plans to expand its Pocharam campus. The expansion aimed to double the campus’s capacity from 12,000 to 25,000 employees, making it Infosys’ largest campus.

The Dalai Lama Centre for Ethics and Transformative Values at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) decided to establish its South Asia centre in Hyderabad, reflecting the city’s growing prominence in the global tech and education sectors.

On March 19, 2016, Rao urged Union Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to approve ₹100 crore for the second phase of T-Hub. He also requested 3,000 crore for the implementation of the IT Investment Region in Telangana.

Minister for Panchayat Raj:

On January 19, 2015, Rao announced a new initiative to enhance village governance in Telangana by bringing at least 26 government employees from various departments under the chairmanship of village sarpanches. This move aimed to strengthen village panchayats through a new Act. He also committed to establishing special tribunals and ombudsmen to ensure accountability and address grievances.

Rao outlined plans to invest 642 crore in the 150 most backward mandals by 2020 under the Telangana Palle Pragathi programme. This initiative was focused on improving livelihoods and the human development index in these areas.

In June 2015, Rao urged Union Panchayat Raj Minister Nihal Chand to prioritize Telangana and expedite the release of arrears from the 13th Finance Commission funds. He highlighted several key programmes, including Our Village- Our Plan, Harithaharam, and the construction of two-bedroom houses with basic amenities for the needy and weaker sections.

During a VLE training program at the Telangana State Institute for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (TSIPARD), Rao praised women from over 4 lakh self-help groups for their commendable fiscal discipline, successfully repaying ₹5,000 crore in loans.

In September 2015, Rao launched the Water Grid Scheme (also known as Mission Bhagiratha) with an ambitious budget of 35,000 crore. This project aims to provide a lasting solution to the state’s drinking water needs, with the goal of completing it ahead of the planned three-and-a-half-year timeline. The scheme involves using hydraulic modeling software to determine the appropriate sizes for water pipelines, pumping capacities, and heights for water distribution.

The success of the initial implementation of the Water Grid Scheme caught the attention of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who expressed interest in adopting a similar model for the Bundelkhand region. In October 2015, Rao and a team of IT department officials traveled to Lucknow to present the Water Grid Scheme to Yadav and extended an invitation for him to visit Telangana for a firsthand assessment.

Role in GHMC elections:

In February 2016, elections were held for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the urban local government body for Hyderabad. Rao was appointed as the in-charge of the TRS party’s campaign for the election, taking full responsibility for campaign and publicity strategies while KCR focused on MLC polls. The party faced a challenging scenario, having won only 2 out of 24 Assembly seats in the previous GHMC elections.

Rao undertook an intensive campaign, visiting all 150 wards of the city within a week and holding over 100 public meetings to canvass for TRS. Starting his days as early as 6 am, he worked tirelessly, engaging with key leaders and sending a strong message to the party cadre. His marketing skills and political acumen were pivotal in positioning the party as a serious contender in the elections.

His initiatives as the IT Minister won the confidence of both the public and industry leaders, contributing significantly to the success of his campaign. Rao made a concerted effort to engage with diverse communities, including Bengalis, Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, and residents of local bastis. The introduction of local basti leaders into the campaign, along with announcements of the double-bedroom scheme, regularization of house sites, and promises of uninterrupted water supply, resonated strongly with these communities, leading to a substantial voter turnout in favor of the party.

As a result, TRS secured victories in 99 out of the 150 wards in the GHMC elections, effectively diminishing the presence of BJP, INC, and TDP. Political analysts credited Rao’s articulate speeches and his background as a double master’s degree holder with winning the hearts of Hyderabadis, especially among young voters, and positioning him as a highly favored leader.

Municipal Administration and Urban Development and Brand Hyderabad:

Rao was assigned the additional portfolio of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, complementing his existing responsibilities in Information Technology, Electronics, and Communications.

To address the pollution of the Musi River, Rao announced plans to seek a 3,000 crore loan from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Incheon, South Korea. He also urged industrialists, manufacturers, and hoteliers to avoid discharging waste into drains and warned that violators would face action.

In March 2016, Rao stated that the government was ready to establish special-purpose vehicles, expedite clearances, and provide an effective dispute redressal mechanism for companies investing in major infrastructure projects, such as flyovers and expressways, in the capital region.

In March 2016, Rao announced that the long-pending Charminar Pedestrianisation Project (CPP) in Hyderabad’s Old City would be completed by August and opened to the public.

On November 5, 2017, Rao laid the foundation stone for the IMAGE (Innovation in Multimedia, Animation, Gaming, and Entertainment) Tower at Hyderabad Knowledge City, Raidurgam. The tower was established as a center of excellence, featuring state-of-the-art facilities for the animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics sectors in Telangana.