Interview: ‘I am neither from Telangana, nor politically aligned; I deliver work: IAS Jayesh Ranjan- The SPEED boss

Hyderabad: Senior IAS officer Jayesh Ranjan, who headed important departments in united Andhra Pradesh as well as Telangana, has successfully navigated both the BRS and the Congress governments. Once known as the poster boy for investments in Telangana, he has finally been moved out as Telangana Information Technology Secretary, a post he has held since the formation of the state.

After 10 years, Jayesh Ranjan has been posted in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) as Special Chief Secretary to the Government and CEO, Industry & Investment Cell and SPEED.

The new cell was specifically created, and Jayesh was named its boss. SPEED was created to ensure fast approvals and grounding of investments.

In a free-wheeling interview with NewsMeter’s Kaniza Garari and Coreena Suares, Rajan discussed SPEED and its impact on Telangana’s investment climate.

NM: What is SPEED, and why was this specific department created?

JR: Allow me to give a brief background. In the first few months, the Congress government focused on welfare. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy realized that welfare and development are key for the state to progress. Good infrastructure and jobs are a prerequisite to meet the aspirations. If you remember, on the first anniversary of the Congress government, the slogan was 'Rising Telangana'. This encompasses the state's vision for the next 25 years. So it was decided that a few very long-term foundational programs and projects should be executed for sustainable development.

SPEED- Will work 20 projects (currently) to ensure fast execution of ground work, streamline paperwork, identify and resolve challenges, Single point of contact - no bureaucracy hierarchy, hand-holding by experts, quality assistance from private players. SPEED was created to execute projects in the most efficient manner and in record time.

NM: Why was there a need to create SPEED?

JR: Let me cite an example. The Chief Minister was keen on setting up a Skills University. He noticed that a lot of companies that come to Hyderabad are unable to hire employees due to a lack of talent. Hence, skill training and upgradation were required. The task of setting up the university was given to the Education Department. However, for reasons unknown, the department took 6 months, and nothing was moving. One day, I received a call from the CMO asking me to attend a meeting. The CM then entrusted the task to the Industries Department and gave me 15 days to complete the DPR. It was, in a way, motivating, because I managed to deliver it in 11 days. The bill was introduced in the Assembly, and the university is now operational.

If you ask me what I did? I identified the hurdles and looked at ways on how can we can speed up the process. Everything has been done with the good intention to move files faster.

NM: What are the difficulties while implementing multi-crore projects?

JR: While executing a project, there are multiple complexities and inter-departmental issues. From funding to approvals, everything needs close monitoring. Because of the hierarchy, many times the files get stuck at a certain officer for months, resulting in delaying the completion date. Take the example of ORR; when it was conceptualized, the concerned department, while executing it, encountered many roadblocks. Almost 20,000 acres of land had to be acquired. The tendering process was a herculean task. However, despite the complexities, the government managed to complete it in 2 years. They appointed a 'Project Director' who identified bottlenecks, cleared files, carried out timely inspections, and delivered.

When I gave this example to the CM, he then understood 'SPEED' in delivering the project - (Remove levels of bureaucracy for file work, one stop approvals, single boss, close monitoring of projects, hand holding for departments). Private players play crucial roles in structure designing, engineering and funding models. When I explained this to the CM, he was impressed and hence SPEED was born.

At SPEED, we will exclusively work with departments executing projects, be part of the planning, engineering, funding, and execution. Zero in on the right person to lead. There would be no hurdles with bureaucracy and a direct approval system.

NM: How many departments will SPEED be working with?

JR: Currently, 20 odd projects, from Tourism to Information Technology to Industries and Municipal Administration, are lined up. Some projects require environmental clearances and, Centre's approvals. SPEED will handhold these departments and act as a catalyst.

We will also assess the importance of private players in the project if needed. The aim is to ensure that we deliver in a record time.

Note: (To assist Jayesh Ranjan, the government has appointed senior officer E.V. Narasimha Reddy as the Additional CEO of the Industry & Investment Cell and SPEED)

SPEED currently has two officials, Narasimha Reddy and I. We are working on building certain infrastructure projects. One of these is the Future City project. Going forward, more officials will be appointed to execute works on the Musi River development project. If need be, we will also be taking experts from private players who excel in finance, accounting, and engineering.

NM: You successfully positioned yourself in leading important departments in both the BRS and Congress governments and shared camaraderie with the previous IT minister and the current one. Your thoughts?

JR: Post my transfer, some Newspapers reported that there is a tremendous amount of jealousy about me. Some reported that I am probably one of the few bureaucrats who had a great run with the previous government and the present (he smiles). But, why should anyone feel jealous about it.

I'm not from Siddipet nor from Karimnagar or Mahbub Nagar but from Lucknow. Neither am I a Reddy, Rao, or Velma. None of my family members or ancestors are politicians or have any political connections.

I'm not a Telugu person, I have no Congress or BRS links. If you are focused on your work, you're not bothered: You have been given some tasks, and you must deliver. If you're clear to your conscience, nothing should bother you.

NM: How do you see Telangana benefiting from the Miss World pageant?

JR: India is on the bucket list of many international tourists, and they look at coming once in their lifetime to India.

So while India is a go-to destination, there is also a negative impression as they are a bit worried. To tackle this image is very important. Tourists mostly go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal; Jaipur in Rajasthan for heritage and Goa for the beaches. Kerala has marketed well, its backwaters and Ayurveda.

But there are many other places in India which are equally attractive and have tourism potential. In Telangana, there is Hyderabad with Charminar, Golconda, Chowmalla Palace, and the world heritage site of Ramappa temple.

There are also those tourists who also have heritage site in their bucket list. For such tourists, it is important to develop the heritage sites. Having said this, how do we place Telangana on the bucket list of tourists

Miss World Event 2025 is one platform where the event hosts young women from around the world. This event is one way to showcase Telangana to representatives of 120 countries. This global event will promote Telangana as a major tourist destination.

NM: What will be the recall value for the tourists?

JR: As we can see, there is a strong social media presence in the tourism industry. So, there are reels, posts, and personal experiences of tourists which will add value for the state. Tourism summits are another way. We will engage with the private sector, which drives the industry, to lure tourists to the state.

NM: What more will the state need to do to ensure that the tourist experience is good?

JR: The new tourism policy, released about a month ago, encourages the private sector to come and participate in tourism projects. The aim is to set up new hotels, restaurants, amusement parks, and focus on tourism attractions.

This will also boost the economy of the state. We will be able to attract tourists from different states. We can even host a large number of international tourists. Tourists also look at the entertainment ecosystem, and hence it has to be intertwined. Some look at some kind of recreation, and hence, those facilities also need to be created.