Hyderabad, April 5, 2026 – The Telangana Tourism Development Corporation (TGTDC) has reportedly incurred losses of over ₹6–7 crore on its Tirupati‑bound tourism bus operations after the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) stopped providing the darshan‑facility quota for state‑tourism buses. The loss stems mainly from falling patronage and idling of a large portion of the bus fleet that once formed a major revenue‑generating package.
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Pre‑Withdrawal Scenario – TGTDC used to operate around 30 buses on Hyderabad–Tirumala–Tirupati packages, offering three‑day tours that included transport, accommodation, guaranteed darshan of Sri Venkateswara Swamy, and return travel.
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The fare was about ₹3,800 per ticket, and nearly 200 seats would sell out on each run despite the price.
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The operation was generating ₹40–50 lakh per month, making it one of the most profitable tourism‑circuit routes in Telangana.
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Impact of Darshan‑Quota Stoppage – After the TTD Board scrapped the special‑entry darshan‑ticket allocation to state tourism corporations citing misuse and black‑marketing, TGTDC’s Tirupati‑tour packages lost their main USP.
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Demand dropped sharply, and only 10 buses now run regularly; the remaining 20 are kept idle for over a year, leading to huge maintenance and salary costs without equivalent income.
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Devotees have also stopped preferring these buses, as securing guaranteed darshan via TTD’s direct online system has become complex and competitive for many.
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Operational Inertia and Official Response – Instead of shifting the idle buses to other temple or tourism destinations within Telangana, TGTDC officials reportedly waited for TTD approval to restart darshan‑ticketing, which has not come.
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Maintenance costs and staff salaries on these idle buses have piled up, and in a recent review meeting, Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao expressed displeasure, directing officials to explore alternative routes and special packages to revive the fleet’s revenue‑generating potential.
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Wider Policy & Tourism‑Potential Gap – Telangana has numerous pilgrimage and heritage sites (Kaleshwaram, Yadadri, Bhadrachalam, etc.), yet organized bus‑tour services to these destinations remain minimal, and promotional campaigns are weak, raising questions about the overall tourism‑management strategy.
For devotees who still wish to travel to Tirumala–Tirupati from Telangana, the TGSRTC and private‑tour operators continue to run buses, while TGTDC is now under pressure to repurpose its fleet for intra‑state religious and leisure‑tour circuits.
