Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee to join TelanganaRising advisory board

Hyderabad: Nobel Prize-winning economist Prof. Abhijit Banerjee has accepted the invitation to join the advisory board of ‘TelanganaRising’, the State government’s flagship initiative aimed at driving inclusive and sustainable development.

His induction into the board was confirmed following a detailed meeting with chief minister A Revanth Reddy.

Blending traditional crafts and arts with modern skills

During the meeting, Prof. Banerjee and the chief minister exchanged ideas on a wide range of development areas, including urban planning, economic growth, public revenue enhancement, fiscal discipline and large-scale job creation.

A key suggestion from Prof. Banerjee was to incorporate traditional crafts and arts into the State’s skilling ecosystem, blending heritage skills with modern design, digital marketing and entrepreneurship. He emphasised that short-term, skill-based courses in these domains could help transform artisans into successful modern entrepreneurs, thereby generating employment at scale.

He further recommended making arts and crafts a defining feature of the upcoming Bharat Future City, envisioning it as a blend of creativity, culture and economic vitality.

Building global connections, promoting local ecosystems

Banerjee also lauded the Telangana government’s progressive policies, particularly its initiatives to recruit transgenders into police and municipal roles, and its plan to designate the core urban area within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) as a services-exclusive zone. He welcomed the proposed establishment of a Skills and Sports University, calling it a visionary step toward future-ready education.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, highlighting Hyderabad’s historic global connections and the international reach of Telangana’s local products, spoke of the need to amplify the State’s presence on the global stage. He also shared the government’s ongoing empowerment initiatives for women’s Self-Help Groups, youth and farmers.