A major advantage of Hyderabad has always been easy availability of land surrounding its core part owned both by Government and private individuals. File
| Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR
From a sleepy nawabi city peopled largely by those accused of virtually possessing DNA of a laid-back lifestyle to a vibrant, happening urban sprawl hosting a slew of IT towers and offshore Global Capability Centres, Hyderabad’s last 50-year transformation has been dramatic.
Though the 435- year Old City appears the same barring devdis and spacious independent houses giving way to ugly buildings, a flyover here and half-widened road there, other parts of Hyderabad specially the western side has seen a big change, skyscrapers along wide roads dotting the skyline lending the city an international look, leaving the old Hyderabadis and NRIs surprised.
What factors helped Hyderabad’s metamorphosis? Hyderabad had a head start in that the seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan ensured that it had a reasonably good water supply and sewerage system including a separate line for storm water drain, adequate road network, effective transportation and public utility, medical and health facilities.
Even as the city turned into a capital for a larger Andhra Pradesh, it looked self-sufficient till migration of people from other regions increased manifold attracted of course by its investment potential and job opportunities.
All that the city required to capitalise on its central location in India, a humungous land bank and fairly workable public utilities system was a political policy nudge and investments that was clearly lacking in 1970s and early 1980s.
Emerging out of a separate Telangana movement, Congress which was in power during this period, was caught in its own web of internal squabbles besides having to endure frequent communal riots. But one significant visionary move it made was to locate a string of central public sector undertakings like BHEL and MIDHANI, science laboratories like RRL now IICT, CCMB and NGRI and Defence laboratories and other establishments that served as a springboard for future development of Hyderabad.
Otherwise Congress policy towards Hyderabad’s infrastructure remained status quoist as there was no notable incremental addition to what the seventh Nizam did and left. For instance there was no major public hospital added to Osmania General Hospital and the Chief Ministers of the day too rushed there for their medical and health requirements. Much later Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences hosted the political VIPs.
The era of Hyderabad sliding into communal violence at the slightest of provocation ended with Telugu Desam coming to power and a no non-sense approach of the then Chief Minister N. T. Rama Rao. Widening of roads was taken up the immediate examples being Charminar to Shah Ali Banda and Bashir Bagh to Gunfoundry. Hussain Sagar Tank Bund was redeveloped and Quli Qutub Shah Stadium came up close to City College, the first big sports facility for people of Old City.
A major advantage of Hyderabad has always been easy availability of land surrounding its core part owned both by Government and private individuals. Families of very many nawabs, jagirdars and landlords owned much of the land around Hyderabad but they lacked that critical risk-taking capacity, the skill and big investments to monetise and market these large parcels of land.
One may agree or disagree the large scale migration of people in general and big players from Andhra and Rayalaseema who brought investments, enterprising and entrepreneurship skills with them filled this vacuum, giving a big push to development of Hyderabad. Look at the huge investments in IT, real estate field of both commercial and residential towers, it is those from these regions who dominate the scene.
K.Venkateshwarlu, former Resident Editor, The Hindu, Andhra Pradesh.
Published – September 04, 2026 01:04 pm IST
