Industry not the target of Telangana protests, but disruptions still hurt

The focus of the agitation for a separate state of Telangana now appears to be Andhra Pradesh's urban areas. It is targeted at the government and not at industry, say local industry representatives.  

"Industry is not being targeted and to that extent business will not suffer," says Devendra Surana, President of the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI).

He, however, added that, due to disruptions in public services - such as the smooth running of the state road transport buses - caused by the agitation, local business may see a slight dip in employee attendance, product dispatches and marketing within the cities.

However, Surana feels, the local industry may have to learn to live with it as there could be more such events, more so since 2014 is an election year.

"While we have to give the agitators credit for not touching industry, disruptions are bound to be there. In applications such as call centres, for instance, companies will need to staff employees in nearby hotels and incur additional costs whenever agitation programmes are announced," says B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director of Infotech Enterprises, a leading Hyderabad-based IT company. "It is unfortunate that this is happening at this point of time in Hyderabad. They should resolve it politically once and for all."

"It is the uncertainly that really hurts," adds Surana.