Sri City MD Shares Vision and Entrepreneurial Insights with Jagriti Yatra Delegates

Over 525 delegates from Jagriti Yatra—a nationwide initiative promoting youth entrepreneurship—visited Sri City as part of their 8,000-km journey across India. Mrs. Nireesha Sannareddy, Director, CSR, extended a warm welcome to the delegates.

Mr. Chinmay Vadnete, COO of Jagriti Yatra, moderated an engaging session with Dr. Ravindra Sannareddy, Founder and MD of Sri City, who traced the journey behind Sri City’s inception and growth. Reflecting on his entrepreneurial stint in the U.S. during the 1990s, Dr. Sannareddy spoke of India’s immense potential—driven by talent and stability—but held back by poor infrastructure. Inspired by global benchmarks like Shenzhen and Jurong, he envisioned a city where people could “Work, Live, Learn, Play.”

He viewed the 2008 global financial crisis—triggered by the U.S. subprime collapse—not as a setback, but a catalyst for reinvention. Sri City responded with bold pivots: alongside its Special Economic Zone, it developed a Domestic Tariff Zone, Free Trade Warehousing Zone, and an Electronics Manufacturing Cluster. He also spotlighted Sri City’s consent-based land acquisition model, which ensured above-market compensation and zero displacement—later influencing national policy.

Currently, Sri City hosts over 240 companies from 31 countries, backed by ₹44,500 crore in investments and ₹51,500 crore in cumulative exports. It has created more than 65,000 jobs—half held by women—and transformed local livelihoods through skill centres and vocational training.

To aspiring change-makers, he offered: “Start with purpose. Build trust. Stay adaptable. Keep walking—small steps, taken consistently, can build cities. I’ve lived that truth.”

The session concluded with a Q&A covering employment, governance, and Sri City’s revenue model.