Hyderabad: In a striking move against rising linguistic polarization across India, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday unveiled a multilingual campaign titled “Hyderabad Welcomes Everyone,” projecting the capital as a city of inclusion and linguistic harmony.
The now-viral poster features the word “Welcome” in over two dozen languages from Telugu, Urdu, and Hindi to Swahili and German set against a map of Telangana. The campaign marks a political and cultural counterpoint to nationwide tensions over language identity.
As other states push back against Hindi dominance particularly in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu Revanth’s message positions Telangana as a pluralistic outlier. “You don’t have to force someone to learn any language… Hindi is the largest spoken language, not the national language,” the Chief Minister had said earlier this year at a national forum.
The poster, more than a branding tool, reflects a larger state narrative. Telangana continues to promote both Telugu and Urdu in public education and cultural programming, maintaining Hyderabad’s historical role as a melting pot.
Political observers view the campaign as part of Revanth’s vision for “Telangana 2047” a progressive roadmap ahead of India’s centenary of independence. It is also seen as a signal to investors, students, and professionals that Hyderabad remains open, diverse, and forward-looking.
The poster reads: “Come to Hyderabad to work, to connect, to study, to invest, to explore, to grow, to settle, to do business, to thrive & to belong” a pointed message in an era of linguistic friction.
As the national debate over language identity intensifies, Telangana’s approach stands apart: steady, inclusive, and multilingual by design.
