KT Rama Rao, former Telangana IT and Industries Minister and BRS leader, emphasised India's emergence as a global hub for talent, innovation, and enterprise during an address at Columbia Business School in New York on Sunday.
He stated that India is no longer just a “cost story” but a “capability story.”
During the event, KTR outlined India’s strengths in human capital, market scale, and policy support, positioning the country as an appealing destination for international business and investment. He said, “India offers unbridled talent. We offer market scale, and we also offer policy which is extremely important, aligned with the digital infrastructure needs of current day enterprise.”
Highlighting India's demographic advantage, he noted that the country produces nearly 1.5 million engineers annually, making it one of the world’s largest talent pools. He added, “We produce almost 1.5 million engineers every single year. That’s probably larger than any other country in the world. And most importantly, out of these engineers, if you look at the median age, India’s median age is only 27.50% of the Indian population is less than the age of 27. But what is even more exciting, 65% of the Indian population today is less than the age of 35.”
KTR also spoke about India's advances in digital infrastructure, noting how technological progress has reduced operational friction and enhanced efficiency across sectors. “The digital infrastructure that has been set in place also creates enough opportunities by reducing friction across the various sectors in economy. Access has become faster, transactions have become smoother, and scale has become easier to manage,” he said.
Reiterating his key message, he stated, “Now India is not just a low-cost, high-value human capital that is at the offering. It’s a capability story. In fact, it’s a story of young India.”
On social media platform X, KTR reflected on Telangana's development, attributing the state’s transformation to the leadership of K Chandrashekar Rao. He described his experience at the Columbia India Business Conference 2026 as enriching, praising the discussions on business, innovation, and policy as “truly inspiring.”
He wrote: “Spoke at the 21st India Business Conference at @Columbia_Biz, NYC. Shared my experiences about the remarkable growth story of Telangana. Telangana was born out of struggle and sacrifice. And under the able leadership of our leader, KCR garu, it became a trendsetter state for the rest of the nation within a decade. The depth of dialogue around business, innovation, and policy future at the Columbia India Business Conference 2026 was truly inspiring. Grateful to the organisers and every attendee who made it a remarkable forum.”