The Telangana government hosted a Formula E race in Hyderabad, wired ₹55 crore to foreign entities in violation of every payment procedure on the books, and when the Anti-Corruption Bureau filed a chargesheet naming the BRS working president as Accused No. 1, he said the money was spent to "promote Hyderabad's image." Mission accomplished — Hyderabad is now famous for this.
In February 2023, the BRS government brought Formula E racing to Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad — because nothing says "world-class city" like electric cars zooming past a polluted lake. The event cost ₹55 crore, most of which was wired directly to foreign race organizers in violation of established financial procedures. The Anti-Corruption Bureau has now filed a chargesheet naming BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao as Accused No. 1, alongside senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and former HMDA chief engineer B.L.N. Reddy. The charges include criminal misappropriation, breach of trust, and conspiracy under the Prevention of Corruption Act. KTR's defense — that the payments were made to promote Hyderabad's global image — is technically correct: Hyderabad is now globally known as the city that spent ₹55 crore on a car race and got a corruption case out of it. The Governor sanctioned prosecution in November 2024, the Centre cleared the IAS officer's prosecution in February 2026, and the second race was cancelled before it could double the bill.