HYDERABAD: The state government is committed to developing Telangana into a global ‘Innovation Capital’, with Artificial Intelligence, research-driven innovation and the ethical use of technology at its core, IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu said.
Speaking at the BITS Alumni Association Global Meet 2026 at the BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus on Saturday, he said technology should not remain confined to academic degrees but must be meaningfully applied for national service and the larger goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The minister noted that while companies were once judged mainly on scale, speed and valuation, long-term sustainability now depends on strong system architecture, data ownership, faster decision-making and public trust. He added that the future job market would increasingly value creative thinkers who can identify core problems and offer solutions, rather than professionals limited to coding skills alone.
Drawing a contrast with global digital models, Sridhar said that while many countries promoted private digital monopolies, India has emerged as a global model through Digital Public Infrastructure such as Aadhaar and the Unified Payments Interface. He said Telangana had taken this approach further with the launch of the AI-enabled Telangana Data Exchange, the first such initiative in the country, giving a boost to research and innovation.
Inviting BITS Pilani alumni to partner in the state’s ‘Telangana Rising’ vision, he said the government was ready to work closely with the institution in advancing artificial intelligence, innovation and cutting-edge academic research.