Hyderabad:�IT and industries minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu, on Thursday, underscored the state’s commitment to sustainable urban development and stressed the importance of eco-friendly construction in addressing climate change, urbanisation, pollution and carbon emissions.
Inaugurating a two-day national conference titled Next-Gen High-Rise Buildings – Advancements in Composite and Steel Structures, organised by the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (Hyderabad Centre) at the Engineering Staff College of India, Rayadurg, the minister advocated a shift from traditional RCC to composite and steel structures.
The event was attended by senior members of the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers, including S.G.S. Murthy and Mahender Reddy.
He outlined Telangana’s robust construction sector, which recorded a growth rate of 11.97 per cent in 2024–25, contributing over Rs 80,000 crore and accounting for nearly one-fourth of the services sector’s gross value added. The state’s target of building five lakh Indiramma houses within the next three and a half years, he said, reflected its commitment to affordable and green housing.
Referring to Hyderabad’s rapid vertical expansion, with over 200 buildings exceeding 100 metres in height and another 250 under construction, Sridhar Babu called for responsible, environmentally conscious practices in high-rise development.
Sridhar Babu outlined the benefits of composite steel structures, which enable 40 per cent faster construction, are 30 per cent lighter, offer improved seismic resistance, reduce pollution and support recyclability, aligning with circular economy principles. He cited Telangana’s successful adoption of these innovations, including steel bridges accessible to the public, as examples of sustainable infrastructure in practice.
The minister also emphasised the integration of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence in the construction sector. He announced plans to work with the Central government and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to frame uniform national codes for composite steel high-rise structures.
Urging young civil engineers to embrace innovation and move beyond conventional methods, Sridhar Babu reaffirmed the State’s vision of nurturing forward-thinking professionals. He expressed confidence that smart cities, sustainable housing, and resilient infrastructure would play a key role in propelling Telangana toward a $3 trillion economy by 2047.
