The Telangana caste survey has found that Velamas, Reddys, and Kammas are the most prosperous communities in terms of land and asset ownership. Among the least prosperous are several Scheduled Caste (SC) and Backward Class (BC) groups, including BC-C SC Christians (Backward Class–Category C, which includes Dalit Christians), as well as OC (Open Category, or General Category) Muslims.
Reddys, who make up just 4.8% of the state’s population, own 13.5% of its land, according to the Telangana Socio, Economic, Educational, Employment, Political, and Caste (SEEEPC) Survey 2024. The findings of an independent expert working group that analysed the survey were made public on Wednesday, April 15.
The working group developed a “land and assets backwardness index” that considers not just land ownership, but also factors such as landholding size, land quality and productivity, and ownership of movable assets like appliances and vehicles, which are markers of living standards and purchasing power.
While the survey identified 242 castes in Telangana, 56 of them account for 90% of the population. Ranking these 56 castes on the index, the top 10 most prosperous communities were, in order: Velama, Reddy, Kamma, Komati, Kapu, Jains, Veerashaiva (BC), Munnurukapu (BC), Iyengars/Iyers, and Aryakshatriya (BC).
According to the report, the Velamas, Reddys, Kammas, Komatis, Kapus, and Jains “traditionally have strong agrarian and trading backgrounds, ensuring substantial land and asset ownership.” In contrast, SC and ST communities with a high proportion of people engaged in agricultural labour tend to have significantly lower levels of land ownership.
Some BC groups, such as Veerashaivas and Munnurukapu, were found to be less backward than certain General Castes like Iyengars, Rajus, and Brahmins.
At the other end of the index, the most backward group was identified as Shaik Muslims (BC), followed by Dalit Christians classified under BC-C, Beda (SC), Mahar (SC), and OC Muslims, among others, including several BC communities such as Qureshi, Dhobi, Chippolu, Pitchiguntla, Goldsmith, Arekatika, Dudekula, Uppara, Jangam, Mali, and Odde, as well as Madiga (SC).
The working group noted that their backwardness in land and asset ownership reflects “both historical exclusion and economic marginalisation.”
Notably, OC Muslims, while not among the most backward overall in the state, still show significant asset deprivation despite being classified in the general category.
The analysis also compared land ownership to population share. Reddys were found to own the highest share of land relative to their population, “indicating historical advantages in land accumulation,” followed by Velamas and ST Koya communities. In contrast, SC Bedas and OC Muslims own significantly less land relative to their population share, “reflecting their historical marginalisation from land assets.”
Bars rising above the baseline indicate that the caste owns a disproportionately higher share of land than its population share, while bars falling below the baseline show a lower share of land relative to their population size.
In terms of absolute shares, the survey found that Reddys own 13.5% of land in Telangana while comprising just 4.8% of the population. The data was self-reported.
Yadavas (BC) own 8.7% of land with 5.7% of state population.
Lambadis (ST) own 8.6% of land with 6.8% population.
Madigas (SC), on the other hand, own only 6.5% land despite forming 10.3% of the population.
Political theorist Kancha Ilaiah, a member of the working group, observed that while a high percentage of ST communities own land, it is often dry and unirrigated. He also noted in the report that despite large land ownership, STs remain at the bottom of the social pyramid in many other parameters.
Dalit Christians classified under BC-C — despite having just 1% reservation — ranked among the least backward overall when factors beyond land, such as education, employment, income, and living conditions, were considered. OC (Open Category) Christians too were among the least backward, on par with other General Castes, Ilaiah observed.
On the other hand, a high share of Dalit Christians classified under BC-C — despite having just 1% reservation — ranked among the least backward overall when parameters beyond land, such as education, employment, income, and living conditions were taken into account. Many of them are also English-medium educated. OC Christians too were among the least backward overall, on par with other General Castes, Ilaiah noted.
“The entire report shows that human developmental processes, even in a once backward identity group, have shifted from land centrality to education centrality," Ilaiah said.
However, land ownership remains limited among several SC communities such as Madiga and Mala, and ST groups including Lambadi, Kolam, and Koya, “both in incidence and size”, as per the survey. “Many households from these groups are either landless or own very small plots, often rainfed and vulnerable to climatic variability. Irrigated land access is even more restricted, further constraining income stability and agricultural productivity,” the report said.
Average irrigated land per household among SC and ST groups was found to be considerably lower than among General Castes and “upper OBC groups.” In urban areas too, property ownership is disproportionately skewed towards General Castes and upper OBC groups, “while many SC, ST, and low-income OBC households occupy rental or informal housing without significant asset ownership,” the report said.
The survey also highlighted a sharp divide between those who own land and those dependent on agricultural labour. Across Telangana, 19.4% of the population is engaged in agricultural labour, with the highest proportions seen among Kolam (ST) communities at 50.4%. This is followed closely by other tribal groups such as Koya and Gond, as well as SC communities including Madiga, Beda, and Mala Sale.
“These communities have a disproportionately large share of their population dependent on manual, low-wage farm labour, often with little or no land ownership,” the working group noted.
Among BC communities, Valmikis, Malis, and Kuruba Kurumas also recorded higher-than-average dependence on agricultural labour, reflecting “economic vulnerability and reliance on insecure rural employment.”
At the other end, Brahmins had the lowest share of population engaged in agricultural labour at just 0.7%, followed by other General Castes such as Komatis, Rajus, Jains, and lyengars.
The working group was headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy and, alongside Kancha Ilaiah, included academic and Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty, economist Sukhadeo Thorat, former National Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Shantha Sinha, history professor Bhangya Bhukya, environmentalist Purushotham Reddy, economics professor Himanshu, and activist Nikhil Dey. Prominent economists Jean Drèze, Thomas Piketty, and Julia Cagé were special invitees to the group.
According to the government, the survey covered 97% of the state’s population.