Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said India should welcome innovative solutions in cutting-edge internet systems while cautioning against weakening Brand India globally to appease “crony distractions”.

Mr Reddy was apparently concerned that the statement of Elon Musk would damage India’s business image globally, and reminded that Congress governments had consistently championed the digitisation and modernisation of India.

In a post on social media, he cautioned against compromising Brand India’s interests to accommodate what he described as “crony distractions”, stressing the importance of promoting innovation and maintaining India’s credibility in the global technology landscape.

He recalled the conceptualisation of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the adoption of mobile-based digital payments infrastructure were taken up under the Congress-led UPA-II government in 2012-13, describing the initiative as a shining example of Indian innovation.

Mr. Revanth Reddy emphasised that India should remain open to innovative technologies and solutions in advanced internet systems, while safeguarding the country’s global reputation and technological standing.

He posted his opinion after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi posted his views in response to Elon Musk’s allegations that the central government had not accorded permission for Starlink due to various reasons.