HYDERABAD:  As the deadline for nation-wide lockdown nears, IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Thursday asked the officials to be prepared to capture the opportunities that emerge in the post-Covid era.The Minister, reviewing the impact of the lockdown on IT and industry sectors in the State, pointed out to officials that Telangana should be ready to land investments from companies that are now shifting out of the present locations to new geographies. 

“Apart from the existing industries, look at other sectors that might be attractive to investors from abroad. For this to happen, the industries and labour departments should work in close coordination,” he told the officials. He said it was also necessary for the officials to make a quick study on which sectors would take the hit and which areas hold out promise on account of the present challenge posed by Covid-19. 

“The sooner the economy stirs back into life, the better,” he said. Rama Rao, who was hopeful that Covid-19 would be a thing of the past sooner than latter, cautioned the officials to keep in mind that post-Covid situation would be entirely different. Social distancing and the use of sanitisers would become a new normal in the emerging order, he said. 

Dialogue with industry leaders necessary: KTR

The Minister underscored the need for instilling faith in workers and employees to ensure that the wheels of the economy move forward smoothly. “It is necessary to have a dialogue with the industry leaders to make sure that the sector springs back to life,” he said. Rama Rao said both the IT and Industries officials should review the impact of Covid-19 on each sector and come up with strategies to mitigate the negative impact. The Minister stated that even the way government departments work would undergo a sea-change post-Covid.

He instructed the IT Department to focus more on the M-governance initiatives, which facilitate effective service delivery in these testing times. Rama Rao said the officials should leverage technology and conduct more video conferences and webinars in future. He also urged the officials to leverage digital platforms extensively. The Minister said all the efforts must be made by the government officials to sustain the growth momentum that has been achieved over the past six years. Later, he visited T-Works and supervised the ongoing work.