Hyderabad: Telangana aimed to emerge as a global Telangana innovation capital with artificial intelligence, research-driven development and ethical technology at its core, IT and Industries Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu said on Saturday.
Speaking at the BITS Alumni Association Global Meet 2026 at the BITS Pilani–Hyderabad campus, the Minister said technology must go beyond academic qualifications. Instead, it should serve national priorities and contribute to the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. He stressed that innovation must translate into real-world solutions that benefit society.
Drawing comparisons with global digital ecosystems, Sridhar Babu said many countries relied on private digital monopolies. However, he said India had emerged as a global model through Digital Public Infrastructure such as Aadhaar and the Unified Payments Interface. He added that Telangana advanced this approach through the AI-enabled Telangana Data Exchange, the first initiative of its kind in the country.
Telangana innovation capital vision centred on AI and responsible technology
The Minister said the proposed Telangana AI Innovation Hub and AI University would set new benchmarks. He added that these institutions were expected to become reference models for other States.
Highlighting the evolving nature of artificial intelligence, Sridhar Babu said the current era placed greater emphasis on coordination rather than intelligence alone. Therefore, he said data privacy, ethics and responsible AI usage must receive the highest priority. At the same time, he urged technology companies to strengthen their focus on research and development.
Referring to changes in business evaluation, he said companies were once judged mainly on scale, speed and valuation. Now, he said long-term success depended on system architecture, data ownership, faster decision-making and public trust. Moreover, he noted that future jobs would increasingly favour creative thinkers who could identify root problems and deliver solutions, rather than professionals limited to coding skills.
Sridhar Babu also emphasised that the benefits of AI should reach beyond urban centres. Consequently, he called for research that addressed rural challenges in agriculture, education and healthcare. He said inclusive innovation was essential to ensure technology reached the grassroots.
Inviting BITS Pilani alumni to partner in the “Telangana Rising” vision, the Minister said the government was ready to collaborate closely with the institution. BITS Alumni Association Chairperson Prem Jain, MapmyIndia Founder and Chairman Rakesh Verma, BGM 2026 Chairperson Anita and other alumni and dignitaries attended the event.
