‘Trump Avenue’ in Hyderabad: Why has the city named a road after the US president?

Shakespeare’s Juliet once said, “What’s in a name?” The answer, many may argue, is a lot. After all, names are something you carry with you from the moment you are born and continue to bear even when you pass away.

And even when it comes to names of roads and streets, the name matters. In fact, to name a street after a person is to say that this person is significant and must remain in public memory. Perhaps that was the intention of the Telangana government when it renamed a road in Hyderabad as ‘Donald Trump Avenue’ on Tuesday (June 23).

Welcome to Donald Trump Avenue in Hyderabad

On Tuesday (June 23), Donald Trump Avenue — a road adjoining the US Consulate in Hyderabad — was inaugurated amid much hype and hoopla. Ambassador of the USA to India Sergio Gor and Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka jointly hosted the event, which saw the unveiling of a ceremonial plaque commemorating the renaming of the road.

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Diplomats, government representatives, and leaders from the business, aerospace, defence, and technology sectors were also present at the event.

According to a statement issued on the occasion, the designation by the Telangana government honours the United States and reflects Hyderabad’s increasing role in advancing engagement between India and the US.

Speaking on the occasion, US Ambassador Sergio Gor praised Hyderabad’s significance in the evolving bilateral partnership and pointed to the region’s contribution to strategic collaboration. “Nowhere is the high-speed trajectory of the US-India partnership more evident than in Hyderabad. From HITEC City to aerospace and defence, this region represents progress that is defining US-India bilateral momentum,” he said.

Reasons behind renaming road after Trump

But why did the Telangana government decide to honour Trump with a road named after him? That too, at a time when the US president has unveiled or supported policies which are not in the interests of India.

The Telangana government stated that the move to inaugurate Donald Trump Avenue, which was earlier known as US Consulate Road in the Financial District at Nanakramguda, was part of Freedom 250 celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence.

This July 4, America is marking its 250th anniversary of American independence, and the Trump administration has planned a full year of festivities through the end of 2026. Freedom 250 festivities include a Great American State Fair, a free fair that will take place on the National Mall from June 25 to July 10. Apart from that, New York will host the International Naval Review and Sail4th 250, a gathering of military ships and historic vessels from more than 20 countries that will sail through the city’s harbour on July 4.

Some see the renaming of the road as Hyderabad’s desire to be a global player. File image/AFP

While the Freedom 250 celebrations could be the straight answer for the reason behind Trump Avenue, some suggest that it signals Hyderabad’s desire to be a global player. Earlier, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had proposed naming important roads in Hyderabad after leading global corporations.

And taking this forward, it has been decided to name a prominent stretch as the ‘Google Street’. The road along its upcoming campus, set to be Google’s largest campus outside the US, at Hyderabad’s Financial District, will be recognised. There’s also a proposal to rename a street as called Microsoft Road. Through this naming spree, it seems that Hyderabad is trying to place itself on the global stage.

Some also suggest that the decision to rename the road Trump Avenue could be because of Telangana’s love for America. In 2023, students from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana accounted for 56 per cent of all Indian student visas issued by the United States. Data reveals that the number of Telugu-speaking people in the US was 12.3 lakh in 2024. In fact, the Telugu influence has seen such a rise in the US that it became the 11th most spoken foreign language, out of 350 languages.

For those seeking more evidence of Telangana’s love for the US, one only has to look at the Chilkur Balaji temple near Hyderabad, which has even acquired the name of ‘Visa Balaji Temple’, as worshippers come to seek divine blessings for their US visa applications.

A first for any US president in India

With Trump Avenue, Trump becomes the only US president to have an Indian street named after him. Prior to this, there’s one street named after an American — the Martin Luther King Sarani situated in West Bengal’s Kolkata. This leafy boulevard was renamed in 1986 to honour the iconic American civil rights leader.

An ambulance drives past a road sign indicating "Trump Heights", a community named after US President Donald Trump, in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. File image/Reuters

Interestingly, while this is a first for Trump in India, there are roads and even a region named after the US president in lands afar. In Israel, there exists Trump Heights, a remote settlement in the central Golan Heights.

Recently, Ukrainian officials proposed renaming a part of the conflict-riddled Donbas region to ‘Donnyland’.

We wonder what will bear Trump’s name next.

With inputs from agencies