Nine-Year Leap: Telangana Expands Cultivable Land by 90 Lakh Acres

The Economic Survey 2025–26 has revealed that the cultivable land area in Telangana increased by nearly 9 million acres between 2014 and 2023, largely due to the implementation of major irrigation initiatives such as the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project and Mission Kakatiya . The survey was tabled in Parliament on Thursday.

According to the survey, Telangana’s cultivated area, which stood at 13.1 million acres in 2014 , rose to 22 million acres by the 2022–23 financial year . Expansion of irrigation infrastructure, restoration of tanks, and improved availability of water enabled farmers to bring more land under cultivation. The survey emphasised that improving agricultural productivity requires crop selection aligned with irrigation facilities and natural resources, along with the adoption of climate-resilient, high-yield seed varieties.

Record Paddy Procurement

Meanwhile, Telangana Minister for Civil Supplies and Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy stated recently that the state achieved a record by procuring 7.082 million metric tonnes of paddy from farmers during the 2025–26 Kharif season . This surpassed the previous highest procurement of 7.02 million metric tonnes , he said.

Services Sector and Urbanisation

The survey also highlighted Telangana’s significant contribution to the services sector. Along with Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu , the state accounts for nearly 40 per cent of India’s total services output . Growth in advanced sectors such as IT, finance, and professional services has led to a concentration of economic activity in these states. In the labour sector, the survey noted that Telangana, along with Bihar, Gujarat, Odisha, and Maharashtra , has eased restrictions to enable greater participation of women in industries and commercial establishments.

On urbanisation, the survey observed that while cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru are expanding primarily into their suburban regions, Hyderabad and Pune are witnessing balanced growth across both high-density urban cores and peripheral areas. Overall, the Economic Survey data underline Telangana’s balanced growth across agriculture, industry, and the services sector.