Hyderabad, June 03 Telangana and South Africa have agreed to collaborate in the fields of education, medical tourism and investments following a high-level bilateral meeting here led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and South Africa’s Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), both sides aligned on strengthening educational exchanges, promoting medical tourism and attracting cross-border investments for mutual benefit. The meeting was attended by Telangana Ministers D. Sridhar Babu (IT & Industries) and C. Damodar Raja Narsimha (Health, Medical & Family Welfare; Science & Technology) alongside a high-powered South African delegation.
Outlining Telangana’s value proposition, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said Hyderabad’s robust education and skill development ecosystem has nurtured a deep talent pool across IT, pharmaceuticals, defence and aerospace. He noted that the city is among the world’s leading destinations for Fortune 500 Global Capability Centres (GCCs), underscoring the state’s credentials in advanced services, R&D and innovation.
On healthcare, the Chief Minister highlighted Hyderabad’s world-class medical and healthcare facilities that attract international patients, including from the Middle East, for high-quality, cost-effective treatment. He said the state government is working to further cement Hyderabad’s position as a global hub for a skilled workforce and medical tourism.
Reddy also recounted the strong response to the Telangana Rising Global Summit 2025, describing it as a milestone that drew global dignitaries, diplomats and industry leaders. He invited the South African leadership to attend the next Global Summit, scheduled for December 2026, to unlock broader opportunities for businesses on both sides.
Signalling the state’s infrastructure ambitions, the Chief Minister briefed the delegation on plans for Bharat Future City—30,000 acres of net-zero, global-standard, greenfield infrastructure near Hyderabad’s international airport. The project aims to provide integrated, sustainable ecosystems for advanced manufacturing, services, life sciences and emerging technologies.
IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu invited top South African industrialists to explore investments in Telangana and engage in sector-specific dialogues. Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narsimha underscored Hyderabad’s global role in bulk drugs and vaccines production and noted that mega hospitals are being built to enhance public healthcare capacity in the state.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile said South Africa and India share a longstanding relationship rooted in shared experiences and cultural ties. He emphasised that South Africa offers Indian companies a platform to access African markets through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), creating avenues for establishing pharmaceutical manufacturing and deepening small-business development linkages.
The South African delegation included T. Moraka, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation; Ambassador A. Sooklal, South Africa’s Ambassador to India; A. Motsoaledi, Minister of Health; S. Ndabeni, Minister of Small Business Development; N. Gina, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation; and M. Gungubele, Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technology.
From Telangana, Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao; Principal Secretary to CM V. Seshadri; Special Secretary to CM B. Ajith Reddy; Special Chief Secretary (Energy) Navin Mittal; Health, Medical and Family Welfare Principal Secretary Christina Z. Chongthu; Planning Secretary Gourav Uppal; TGIIC Managing Director K. Shashanka; and ITE&C Joint Secretary D. Anudeep were among the senior officials present.
While no formal MoUs were announced, the meeting set a clear direction for collaboration, with both sides focusing on education linkages, medical tourism partnerships and investment facilitation. Telangana officials said the state’s strengths in life sciences, vaccines, digital innovation and GCC operations align well with South Africa’s objectives of expanding healthcare capacity, building skills and leveraging AfCFTA for continental scale.
Analysts note that the proposed cooperation could accelerate student and faculty exchanges, establish hospital and clinical partnerships for patient referrals and training, and spur joint ventures in pharmaceuticals and allied industries. Telangana’s emerging plans for Bharat Future City and its established innovation clusters in Hyderabad are expected to be focal points for prospective South African investments.
The leaders agreed to continue discussions to translate the cooperation framework into actionable programmes and business engagements in the coming months. With Hyderabad positioning itself as a hub for talent, healthcare and technology, and South Africa offering a gateway to African markets, the partnership seeks to create new corridors of growth between Telangana and the African continent.
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