In a major step toward curbing urban air pollution and driving Hyderabad's clean-energy transition, the Telangana cabinet has cleared a dedicated ₹200-crore scheme to convert thousands of petrol and diesel autorickshaws into electric three-wheelers. Chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, the cabinet finalized the initiative to phase out fossil-fuelled three-wheelers operating within Hyderabad’s Core Urban Region (CURE), offering drivers direct financial assistance to either retrofit their existing autos with electric conversion kits or scrap them to buy brand-new EVs.
Briefing reporters on the cabinet's decisions, Information and Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy confirmed that the scheme covers roughly 18,766 petrol- and diesel-run autorickshaws active across the city's core zones. Under the approved framework, eligible drivers will receive a subsidy of up to ₹1.5 lakh per vehicle, lowering upfront acquisition costs and helping operators cut down on recurring fuel expenses.
The move forms a central pillar of the state’s broader roadmap to turn Hyderabad into a net-zero carbon city by 2034 through the phased electrification of public transit and commercial fleets. Alongside the clean mobility initiative, the state cabinet rolled out several key decisions across agriculture, technical education, and industrial zoning.
To support paddy farmers, the government approved a ₹500-per-quintal bonus for seven designated fine-grain varieties during the Kharif season, backed by awareness drives run through village panchayats and Rythu Vedikas. In education, existing Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Advanced Training Centres, and polytechnics are being brought directly under the umbrella of the newly established Young India Skills University.
The cabinet also extended the application window for the Hyderabad Industrial Land Transformation (HILT) policy by three months to October 31, giving polluting manufacturing units additional runway to shift beyond the Outer Ring Road to clear land for mixed-use urban development.