State Central Library at Afzalgunj, Hyderabad which started in 1891. | Photo credit: Serish Nanisetti
Hyderabad’s gravity is shifting west. And the latest addition to this urban change is a large accessible public library in the Kondapur area. Bang on the main road above the jewelry showroom on the eighth floor is the Coforge Public Library, which opened a few days ago. And people in Hyderabad are voting with their feet – it attracts about 400 visitors on Saturday and 550 on Sunday.
The fluttering flags make the library easy to spot and easy to get to: a ride in the elevator to the eighth floor followed by a quick check-in allows access. Inside, the low hum of the air conditioner mingles with the soft chatter of children hunting for books. The shelves are spotless, the lighting warm and the seating inviting, all designed to keep visitors lingering over a good read. There is no Wi-Fi and laptops/tablets are not allowed as a gentle nudge to disconnect and just read.
“The genesis of this library lies in the vision of Coforge CEO Sudheer Singh. He had access to good libraries while growing up in various army cantonments across India and then in the US. He felt that this gap in access to libraries needed to be filled,” says Anuradha Sehgal of Coforge.
The library currently has 15,000 books, where dozens of readers can find space in 15,000 square feet. flat. “A library is a place of knowledge that can spark imagination. That’s why we have a range of books with a special area for children,” says Ms. Sehgal.
A world away, on the banks of the Musi River, is the State Central Library in Afzalgunj, which started functioning in 1891. “We have six thousand books,” says Riyaz, president of the Telangana Rashtra Grandhalaya Parishad. However, much of the books remain inaccessible as the building, built in 1936, is undergoing one of the largest conservation efforts. The main hall with the reception desk is roofed and the internal walls have been carved out to make way for new lime plaster.
“For almost ten years, the libraries have been ignored and funding has been stopped. I am trying to get the library freed so that I can buy more books, hire permanent staff and improve the atmosphere in the libraries,” says Mr Riyaz, promising that the conservation work will be completed by January 2026.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation collects Property Tax (PT) of which 8% is earmarked as library cess. Last year, the civic body collected ₹2,000 crore as PT. If the funds are properly transferred, the city’s libraries should get ₹160 crore.
“From a real library that was part of the library movement in Telangana, this place has become a reading room. But the books are there. As the new generation discovers books, we want to be ready for them,” says Mr. Riyaz.
There is a gap between the two libraries that only patrons can bridge as the patronage of physical libraries increases.
Published – 15 Oct 2025 20:24 IST
