1. Opening Ceremony Highlight
“Hyderabad’s literary fire is lit! Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma & Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi inaugurate HLF with pure inspiration
2. Jayesh Ranjan’s Vision. “Big plans for Hyderabad: Hyper-local libraries everywhere in 2-3 years! ‘Prominent, reliable, resilient’ hubs for minds.
3. Kailash Satyarthi’s Wisdom. “From Rig Veda to ‘globalisation of compassion’ – Satyarthi calls HLF a mind-opening celebration! India: Land of a billion solutions.’
4. Governor’s Dharma Take. “Governor Varma: Literature is immortal, compassion is Dharma’s core! ‘HLF is indefinable – Hyderabad is a concept.’ Deep vibes from the lit fest
kickoff.
Hyderabad’s literary scene ignited on Saturday January 24, 2026, as the Hyderabad Literature Festival (HLF) was inaugurated by Telangana Governor Shri Joshnu Dev Varma alongside Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi. The star-studded opening featured Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary and CEO of the Industry and Investment Cell, Government of Telangana, as a key speaker. Founders of HLF, dedicated to fostering intellectual discourse in the city, welcomed a diverse audience to the vibrant launch event, promising a celebration of knowledge amid Hyderabad’s cultural renaissance.
Jayesh Ranjan set an ambitious tone, urging the promotion of Hyderabad’s livability and global acceptability. “In 2-3 years, we can transform this city, not as a long-lasting project, but through swift action,” he declared. He spotlighted plans for opening a large number of libraries, including hyper-local ones designed for intellectual discussions. These spaces, he emphasized, would be “prominent, reliable, and resilient,” positioning Hyderabad as a hub for enlightened minds.
Kailash Satyarthi commenced his address with a timeless Rig Veda quote from thousands of years ago: “When we ignite the power of knowledge in a person, it offers fumes converted into prosperity, this prosperity is knowledge.” Resonating with the festival’s spirit, he called HLF a “celebration of knowledge,” where literature breaks down cultural barriers. “People don’t just read or buy books; it opens minds and contributes to betterment,” he said. Responding to a foreign journalist’s query on India’s challenges. “Every person in India has problems”Satyarthi countered poetically: “My motherland mayhave people with 100 problems, but it is the land of a billion solutions.” He advocated “globalisation of compassion” to realign humanity.
Governor Shri Joshnu Dev Varma expressed excitement over Ranjan’s library vision, envisioning “shops and rooms filled with books.” Defining compassion as a “challenging task” that binds society, he noted its role as a “Lakshmana Rekha” between success and failure, interest and disinterest. “The English dictionary has no equivalent for Dharma, right actions and right thoughts,” he observed. Affirming literature’s immortality. “Till the human mind exists, there will be literature, whether on screens, tablets, gadgets, or audiobooks”, he concluded that compassion is a core component of Dharma. “HLF is the great fest; Hyderabad is going to be great about it. It’s indefinable. Hyderabad is a concept in itself.”
