Telangana government teams up with IIFA for global cinema showcase

In a first-of-its-kind deal, this move uses the celebrity power of Indian cinema to boost cultural presence globally, officially crowning Telangana as the nation's go-to hub for creativity and culture.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, the Telangana government made a landmark deal as it sealed a major, multi-year partnership with the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA Weekend & Awards and IIFA Utsavam).

In a first-of-its-kind deal, the move uses celebrity power of Indian cinema to boost cultural presence globally, officially crowning Telangana as the nation's go-to hub for creativity and culture.

This game-changing partnership was established at the Telangana Rising Global Summit 2025, featuring an exciting two-pronged strategy.

First, IIFA will promote Telangana to the world at the 26th IIFA Awards in 2026, and second, it will bring the world directly to Telangana by hosting IIFA Utsavam in Hyderabad from 2026 through 2028.

IIFA broadcasts to over 120 countries and reaches over 2.5 billion viewers. The deal is said drive tourism and open new avenues for engaging with international investors and industry leaders.

Hyderabad will celebrate Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam cinema as the host of IIFA Utsavam for three years.

Talking about the deal, Reddy said, “Following the Telangana Rising Global Summit 2025, which is our invitation to the world to collaborate, innovate and help build a future-ready state, Telangana is proud to announce a transformative partnership with IIFA, one of India’s most influential cultural institutions. Telangana is India’s youngest state and one filled with extraordinary opportunities, and today we stand more confident than ever as global partners and stakeholders join us in this journey."

"Telangana stands ready to welcome global partners, filmmakers, creators and investors to experience our culture, our confidence and our spirit of ambition. Through IIFA 2026, we will take the story of Telangana to the world, and through IIFA Utsavam in Hyderabad from 2026 to 2028, we will bring the world back to our state. By hosting IIFA Utsavam for three consecutive years, we aim to cement our position as the cultural capital of South India and a rising global hub for film-led tourism and the creative economy," Reddy added.

"This partnership marks a defining milestone in India’s cultural diplomacy, where cinema becomes the bridge between Telangana and the world, and Hyderabad emerges as a global centre for creativity, innovation and soft-power leadership. Telangana Rising is unstoppable. Come, join the rise,” he concluded.

The partnership is one of the most ambitious cultural and economic collaborations initiated by an Indian state. It is directly inspired by Revanth Reddy's vision to make Telangana "unstoppable"—aiming for a $1 trillion economy by 2034.