[15] Through a bidding process the Shamshabad international airport with already land acquired of 5500 acres is in government possession and N. Chandrababu Naidu assigned bid to consortium consisting of Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao (GMR Group) and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad was chosen as the holder of the 74% stake.

[11][17] A concession agreement between GHIAL and the Central Government was signed in December 2004, stipulating that no airport within a 150-kilometre (93 mi) radius of RGIA could be operated.

[19] The project was forwarded when Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy gained power and construction began by GMR on 16 March 2005 when Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone.

[20] Two days prior, the Central Government had named the airport after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi,[21] who had undergone pilot training in Hyderabad.

[23] Roughly three years after the foundation stone laying ceremony, the airport was inaugurated on 14 March 2008 amid protests.

[24][25] RGIA was originally scheduled to open to commercial operations on 16 March 2008; however, the date was delayed due to protests from some airlines over the high ground handling rates at the airport.

[29] The airline, which chose Hyderabad due to its central location in the country,[30] flies to several Tier-II and Tier-III cities from the airport.

[32] In November 2014, the Ministry of Civil Aviation resolved that the domestic terminal of RGIA would be named after N. T. Rama Rao, resulting in protests from members of the Rajya Sabha.

[35] RGIA is owned and operated by GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), a public–private venture.

It is composed of the private firm, GMR Group (74%) and the public entities, Airports Authority of India (13%) and the Government of Telangana (13%).

[38][39] Hence, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad withdrew from the ownership, and GMR Group took over its stake in January 2024.

Built at a cost of ₹3.5 billion (US$40 million) and inaugurated in March 2012,[141] the facility can handle up to five aircraft simultaneously.

[142] Initially, the MRO was a joint venture between GMR Group and Malaysian Aerospace Engineering (MAE), a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines.

However, amid its parent's poor financial situation following the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 incident, MAE was unable to fund the MRO, which had been accruing losses.

GMR Aero Technic is a world class aircraft maintenance organisation approved by EASA and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (India) and various civil aviation authorities and one of the few MROs certified for AS9110 standards in South East Asia region.

It covers 14,330 square metres (154,200 sq ft) and can handle 150,000 tonnes (170,000 short tons) of cargo annually.

[151] In January 2016, GHIAL commissioned a 5 MW solar power plant near RGIA, which will be used to serve the airport's energy needs.

[152] Over the following two to three years, the capacity of the plant will be raised to 30 MW, allowing RGIA to become fully solar powered.

[156] Kartainment is a professional racing and recreational Go- Karting track located in the GMR Rajiv Gandhi Hyderabad International Airport, Shamshabad.

[158] In April 2021, GMR Group announced the launch of GMR Hyderabad Airport City,[159] which is proposed to be the largest aerotropolis in India spread across 1,500-acre (6.1 km2) around Rajiv Gandhi International Airport,[160] and is being billed as an "integrated ecosystem covering Office Space, Retail, Leisure, Entertainment, Hospitality, Education, Healthcare, Aerospace & Logistics".

In October 2009, the PV Narasimha Rao Expressway was completed between Mehdipatnam and Aramghar, where it joins NH 44.

This long flyover which is 13 km has reduced travel time between the airport and the city to 30–40 minutes and also provides three entry and exit points.

[169][170] During foundation laying ceremony on 9 December 2022, GMR Group contributed ₹625 crore (US$72 million), or 10 per cent of the project's cost.

[174][175] In 2009, GHIAL decided to postpone the second phase due to lower growth in passenger traffic than anticipated.

[179] The passenger terminal will be enlarged with additional security lanes, check-in counters and other facilities, and solar panels will be built on the roof.

[181] But due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which caused lockdowns, restrictions and curfews, it resulted in lack of labour and delays in work.

New cross taxiways will be built on east & west of terminals connecting the runways on north and south of the approach road.