A state government in southern India is set to rename a major road outside the United States Consulate after US President Donald Trump, in a decision that has drawn global attention for its unusual mix of diplomacy, politics and city branding.
The road is located in Hyderabad, the capital of the Indian state of Telangana — a fast-growing technology and business hub often compared to Bengaluru and sometimes described as "India's emerging Silicon Valley." The US Consulate there is one of the largest American diplomatic missions in Asia.
Surprise choice for a diplomatic neighbourhood
According to Telangana officials, the road will soon be officially designated "Donald Trump Avenue."
The state government will now approach India's Ministry of External Affairs and the US Embassy for necessary permissions.
For many observers, the move is striking: Indian cities rarely name key infrastructure after foreign political leaders, let alone a figure as polarising as Mr Trump.
Why Hyderabad is doing this?
The renaming is part of a broader campaign by the Telangana government to position Hyderabad as a global innovation city and signal strong ties with international corporations.
At a major US–India business forum earlier this year, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said the city would begin naming major junctions and roads after multinational companies and global figures who have shaped Hyderabad's rise as a tech hub.
The city hosts large operations for Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Apple, and several Singapore-linked investors — including sovereign and private venture funds.
More to come...
The Trump Avenue proposal is just the first in a sequence of planned renamings:
- A major new expressway will be named after the late Indian industrialist Ratan Tata, whose conglomerate is well-known across Asia.
- Another stretch will be called "Google Street" — a nod to Google Maps and to the company's largest office campus outside the United States, currently under development in Hyderabad.
- Landmarks honouring Microsoft and Wipro, two significant employers in the region, are also planned.
