TTD's move to use AI for handling crowd at Tirumala sparks debate
However, a proposal of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) with its crowd management systems has sparked a spirited debate, with former TTD Executive Officer and IAS officer (retd) LV Subramanyam panning the proposal as 'unrealistic' and 'impractical' and TTD Board Chairman BR Naidu scotching 'premature' criticism them as 'misleading and misinformed'.
Even otherwise, the TTD's move, aimed at leveraging technology for cutting down agonisingly long wait times for darshan at the world-renowned Tirumala temple, has become a flashpoint between those advocating progressive tech adaptation and those playing safe with traditional administrative wisdom.
Speaking to the media in Tirumala on Sunday, Subramanyam questioned the feasibility of providing darshan within one or two hours through AI intervention. Citing practical limitations such as space constraints and existing procedural matters, he suggested that TTD would do well to drop the plan. 'It is unrealistic to expect lakhs of devotees to be managed smoothly with technology alone. These expectations are misplaced and may lead to more frustration,' he warned.
Subramanyam said he had overheard devotees discussing the AI integration proposal and expressing mixed feelings. He felt that while the intention behind the move was to ease the pilgrimage experience, the on-ground realities make such tech-driven timelines impractical.
The former EO further suggested that funds earmarked for the project could be better utilised in enhancing basic amenities for pilgrims.
'Investing in unproven technology in the name of AI does not make sense when pilgrims are still dealing with inadequate facilities. Enhancing comfort and infrastructure should take precedence over ambitious tech experiments', he averred.
Responding strongly to these remarks, TTD Chairman BR Naidu defended the AI initiative, stating that the criticism was both premature and misinformed. He clarified that certain AI-based systems were being developed in partnership with tech giants like Google and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS); and more importantly, at no cost to the TTD, thanks to donor support. 'It is unfortunate that such misleading statements are coming from someone who once held a key administrative role in TTD,' Naidu remarked.
Highlighting the goals of the AI system, Naidu said the focus was solely on streamlining queue management and reducing waiting times in the Vaikuntam queue complex, where devotees often spend several hours — sometimes even days — waiting for darshan. 'This technology will not touch the sanctity of temple rituals or religious practices. It is meant to enhance the devotee experience, not alter temple traditions,' he clarified.
Naidu asserted that in an era where technology is transforming systems across the globe, TTD's decision to explore AI for crowd control was not only logical but also necessary.
Despite the controversy, TTD remains firm on its position and continues to assess the technical feasibility of the AI initiative. With lakhs of devotees thronging Tirumala every month, the temple board believes that leveraging technology is essential to ease congestion and improve overall crowd management.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
10 minutes ago
- Mint
Behind the rising warranty provisions at two-wheeler companies
India's top two-wheeler manufacturers are setting aside significantly larger sums to cover their warranty costs. A key reason: The rising share of electric vehicles in their overall sales. TVS Motor Co. Ltd, Bajaj Auto Ltd and Hero MotoCorp Ltd increased warranty provisions by 51-107% in FY25. Provisions for warranties are sums allocated for potential defects in vehicles, based on past trends and analysis of customer claims. Electric mobility is relatively new, and early products are more likely to carry defects, industry executives and analysts said, requiring companies to increase allocations to cover warranty claims. Queries emailed to the three companies on the reasons behind higher allocations remained unanswered. Warranty provision numbers for Ather Energy Ltd were not available. Put together, Ola Electric, TVS, Bajaj and Hero constitute about 75% of the country's EV market. Ola Electric, India's largest two-wheeler EV maker in FY25, had also informed shareholders after the release of January-March results that it has increased the warranty provision by ₹250 crore in the quarter. While its full-year warranty funds are not available, the company provisioned ₹159 crore at the end of FY24 for warranties, according to its Red Herring Prospectus. 'As a one-time activity, we have increased our warranty provisions…At a headline level, our Gen 1 and Gen 2 products, especially Gen 1 products, had higher warranty costs because that was the first generation of our platform," Bhavish Aggarwal, chairperson and managing director at Ola Electric, had said then, adding that new generation of models have lower warranty costs as development has advanced. As per an industry executive, EVs are still stabilizing and the companies have a learning curve which they had with ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles as well. 'Moreover, the increasing geographic footprint also means allocation of funds has to be done according to requirements of different markets," this executive said on the condition of anonymity. TVS saw total provisions for such warranties go up from ₹88 crore to ₹151 crore in FY25, a jump of 72%. Bajaj Auto Ltd saw a growth of 107% in allocation for provisions to ₹118 crore, while Hero saw a 51% rise in allocation for warranties to ₹630 crore. 'Provision is made for estimated warranty claims in respect of vehicles sold which are still under warranty at the end of the reporting period. These claims are expected to be settled from the next financial year," reads the TVS annual report, with a similar description in other companies' annual reports as well. Although such an allocation makes up for less than 1% of the company's total revenue, a sharp jump in warranty expenses can impact operating profit margins, as per analysts. This jump in warranty provisions comes despite efforts by the companies to improve production quality and deploy AI-assisted warranty claim systems, Anurag Singh, advisor at Primus Partners, a consultancy, said. 'The primary reason for the increase is the growing share of electric two-wheelers in their portfolios. These EVs typically come with longer warranty periods and show higher claim ratios, particularly in their early production cycles," he said, adding that as electric two-wheelers are still relatively new, initial batches often see more warranty issues, even as production techniques and quality continue to improve. Puneet Gupta, director at S&P Global Mobility, says electric two-wheelers are facing challenges with batteries and electronic parts, which companies are actively working to fix. This is pushing up warranty costs. 'The EV supply chain is still settling, and disruptions are common. Unlike ICE vehicles, where companies have decades of experience, EVs are new and need special warranty support to build consumer trust," Gupta said. In FY25, legacy companies saw a strong growth in sales of electric vehicles and exports. TVS saw a 29% rise in its electric two-wheeler sales to 237,576 scooters, while Bajaj saw a more than 100% surge to 230,806 scooter sales. Hero MotoCorp saw a 175% increase in EV sales to 48,674 units, according to data from Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada). On the exports front, the companies saw growth in double digits. Bajaj Auto sales in international markets grew by 13% to 1.67 million units. Hero MotoCorp saw a 44% increase in exports to 289,668 units while TVS MotoCorp saw a 23% increase to 1.08 million units. All the legacy companies have ramped up launches of new electric vehicle products. TVS, Bajaj and Hero have lined up new EV models such as new versions of iQube, Chetak and Vida, respectively, over the last one year and are also looking to tap new geographies to pursue growth.
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
TTD's move to use AI for handling crowd at Tirumala sparks debate
Tirupati: Artificial Intelligence, the overarching buzzword of the IT sector has been working wonders in multiple fields as a disruptive set of technologies that can mimic and, at times, outdo human intelligence. What if its potential is explored in crowd management and reducing 'darshan' time to less than two hours at Tirumala, where except for VIPs and big donors, darshan of Lord Venkateswara takes 8-12 hours on 'normal' days and even 24 plus hours on auspicious days for the common people? However, a proposal of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) with its crowd management systems has sparked a spirited debate, with former TTD Executive Officer and IAS officer (retd) LV Subramanyam panning the proposal as 'unrealistic' and 'impractical' and TTD Board Chairman BR Naidu scotching 'premature' criticism them as 'misleading and misinformed'. Even otherwise, the TTD's move, aimed at leveraging technology for cutting down agonisingly long wait times for darshan at the world-renowned Tirumala temple, has become a flashpoint between those advocating progressive tech adaptation and those playing safe with traditional administrative wisdom. Speaking to the media in Tirumala on Sunday, Subramanyam questioned the feasibility of providing darshan within one or two hours through AI intervention. Citing practical limitations such as space constraints and existing procedural matters, he suggested that TTD would do well to drop the plan. 'It is unrealistic to expect lakhs of devotees to be managed smoothly with technology alone. These expectations are misplaced and may lead to more frustration,' he warned. Subramanyam said he had overheard devotees discussing the AI integration proposal and expressing mixed feelings. He felt that while the intention behind the move was to ease the pilgrimage experience, the on-ground realities make such tech-driven timelines impractical. The former EO further suggested that funds earmarked for the project could be better utilised in enhancing basic amenities for pilgrims. 'Investing in unproven technology in the name of AI does not make sense when pilgrims are still dealing with inadequate facilities. Enhancing comfort and infrastructure should take precedence over ambitious tech experiments', he averred. Responding strongly to these remarks, TTD Chairman BR Naidu defended the AI initiative, stating that the criticism was both premature and misinformed. He clarified that certain AI-based systems were being developed in partnership with tech giants like Google and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS); and more importantly, at no cost to the TTD, thanks to donor support. 'It is unfortunate that such misleading statements are coming from someone who once held a key administrative role in TTD,' Naidu remarked. Highlighting the goals of the AI system, Naidu said the focus was solely on streamlining queue management and reducing waiting times in the Vaikuntam queue complex, where devotees often spend several hours — sometimes even days — waiting for darshan. 'This technology will not touch the sanctity of temple rituals or religious practices. It is meant to enhance the devotee experience, not alter temple traditions,' he clarified. Naidu asserted that in an era where technology is transforming systems across the globe, TTD's decision to explore AI for crowd control was not only logical but also necessary. Despite the controversy, TTD remains firm on its position and continues to assess the technical feasibility of the AI initiative. With lakhs of devotees thronging Tirumala every month, the temple board believes that leveraging technology is essential to ease congestion and improve overall crowd management.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Are AI advisors wise enough to manage your entire money journey, take your biggest investment decisions?
The Indian context Invest 60% in mutual funds and 40% in individual stocks. She invested in Zomato, Nykaa, and Paytm on its recommendation and suffered losses. Now uses AI tools only for basic research and always cross-verifies insights with a financial planner. Answer is not black and white Putting AI to the test Human touch matters Chatbots can go wrong Regularly uses AI chatbots to support her Provides detailed prompts and her own data rather than relying on AI to source information. Uses Ai mainly for analysing stocks and fundamentals, optimising strategies for slippages and market corrections. How does a Chatbot compare to a financial adviser? How experts use AI How industry is using AI Should you use it? Quiz: Are you ready to trust AI with your money? I know my monthly income and expenses in detail. I have an emergency fund that covers at least 6 months of expenses. I know my current asset allocation (equity, debt, gold, etc.). I understand the basics of SIPs, mutual funds, stocks, and insurance. I can explain my risk appetite (conservative, balanced, aggressive). I know how taxation works on different types of investments. I have defined short., medium., and financial goals. I know the approximate amount and timeline for each goal. I track my progress towards these goals at least once a year. I know how to frame detailed, specific prompts to get useful AI outputs. I always verify AI's suggestions with reliable sources before acting. I understand that free AI tools may not have market data. 'I had a terrible day. How do I make myself feel better?'That's the kind of question many Gen Zs are throwing at chatbots these days—using them as a stand-in for therapy, simply because therapy costs too much. From relationship rants to work woes, artificial intelligence is quietly becoming their go-to sounding it's not just for venting. Whether it's fixing an awkward email, sorting out daily tasks, or helping with big life decisions, AI is creeping into every corner of our lives. And money matters are no exception. Gen Z and millennials are also using AI to manage their finances.A 2024 Experian study found that 67% of Gen Z and 62% of millennials in the US turn to AI for personal finance advice. From saving and budgeting (60%) to investment planning (48%) and even improving credit scores (48%), generative AI (genAI) tools like ChatGPT are quietly becoming part of their financial home, the trend isn't too far behind. While a 2025 CFA Institute report states that 91% of Indians who have graduated in the last three years still place the most trust in human advisers, 83% also indicate that they trust AI assistants, such as ChatGPT, to guide them with their shift is inevitable. AI is affordable, accessible, and evolving fast. Deloitte Insights predicts that by 2027, GenAI tools will become the primary source of financial advice for retail investors, with usage projected to hit 80% by 2028The question is: should you use AI for money matters just because others do? Can you rely on a chatbot to understand your financial needs and give the right advice? Or does the good old human financial planner remain your best bet to steer your money in the right direction?New DelhiHow can I double my investment in five years, in is quick and sharp when it comes to analysing data, portfolios, and anything numbers-driven. But there's one thing it can't replicate—emotional intelligence. 'Clients value advisers who take the time to walk them through their goals and portfolio reviews. This kind of personalised, timeintensive work matters to them,' says Ravi Kumar T V, Co-founder, Gaining Ground Investment they also appreciate, he adds, is help in understanding the behavioural side of investing. 'Advisers play a key role during volatile phases by being emotionally present. When retail investors see a market dip, they often panic and pull out. That's where AI falls short. It can't hold their hand through the fear,' says Tivesh Shah, Founder, Tru-Worth Finsultants. Human advisers also take the time to understand the entire picture before recommending any action, something GenAI isn't yet equipped to understand this with the help of an example. We pitched a financial planner, Shilpa Bhaskar Gole, founder of NerdyBird Financial Wellness, against different AI chatbots – Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Grok AI. We presented a reader's query on his investments to the different AIs and then also to Bhasker of them were given any extra inputs. There was a vast difference between the responses from each AI. Among the three, ChatGPT gave the most balanced response. It provided flexibility in terms of SIP range and step-up, while also emphasising the importance of debt allocation. It also highlighted the need for periodic portfolio reviews and adjustments to account for market changes, inflation, and life the other hand, Grok commented on the surplus available, without understanding the reader's expenses. It also overlooked the need to set aside an emergency fund. Elsewhere, Perplexity overlooked the importance of debt allocation as the retirement goal gets closer, which is crucial for ensuring stability and capital preservation needed for the initial phase of retirement. Given these gaps, we decided to exclude the responses from Grok and Perplexity, keeping only ChatGPT's output for Gole offered advice that reflected a more profound understanding, arguably superior to ChatGPT's, factoring in the reader's situation and projecting returns more biggest difference? When given the same query, Gole asked follow-up questions to better understand the case, AI chatbots didn't. But for the sake of this exercise, we didn't offer her any extra details either. And that's where the gap lies. The advice may be reliable, but does your chatbot know enough about you to suggest the right product or strategy?Free versions also have limited access to real-time data. ChatGPT, in particular, may not always reflect recent developments. Others might, but the number of free queries is capped, after which you hit a paywall. That's a slippery slope, one that could lead to decisions that don't align with your Delhi-based Mitushi Bhatt, for instance. A private school teacher with limited investing knowledge, Bhatt isn't fond of discussing money matters, so ChatGPT felt like a safe space. In 2024, she had asked a simple question: 'How can I double my savings in five years?'At the time, the bot had recommended allocating 60% to equity mutual funds and 40% to individual stocks. It suggested One 97 Communications (Paytm), Eternal (Zomato), and FSN E-Commerce Ventures (Nykaa), citing their post-listing growth and role in India's booming digital sounded promising at first. But by year-end, Paytm had nosedived after regulatory action against its payments bank. Zomato rallied briefly but fell after poor quarterly results. 'I lost about Rs.40,000 back then,' Bhatt went wrong? Bhatt didn't realise that open-ended questions often lead to generic answers, ones that may sound logical but don't account for individual trader,GurugramNow, she uses AI tools just for basic research and always consults an adviser before taking action. 'I've learned the hard way that no chatbot can replace the value of someone who understands my situation,' she says.'Clients value advisers who take the time to walk them through their goals and portfolio reviews.'CO-FOUNDER, GAINING GROUND INVESTMENT SERVICESThat's not to say AI chatbots aren't helpful—they are, but mainly for those who already have some financial literacy. 'The output is only as good as the data fed into the prompt,' says Shah. Without a straightforward question, you're unlikely to get a helpful answer.I'm 51 years old with a net monthly income of Rs.2.25 lakh and an EMI of Rs.22,000. My son is in Class 9, and my daughter has completed her graduation and is preparing for an MBA. I've set aside Rs.35 lakh in mutual fund SIPs for their education. I have a life cover of Rs.1.5 crore and a health insurance plan of Rs.25 lakh. I want to build a retirement corpus of Rs.3 crore over the next 10 years. What's the best way to achieve this?To build a Rs.3 crore retirement corpus in 10 years, invest Rs.1.5-1.6 lakh monthly in equity mutual funds, targeting 10-11% returns. With a Rs.2.25 lakh salary and Rs.22,000 EMI, you can allocate this comfortably. Use diversified or index funds and raise investments by 5-10% annually. Keep 10-15% in debt funds for stability and an emergency corpus covering 6-9 months in liquid funds. With a Rs.35 lakh education fund, adequate insurance, and health cover already in place, you can now focus fully on retirement. Review and rebalance annually to stay on build a Rs.3 crore retirement corpus in 10 years, start an SIP of Rs.1.2-1.3 lakh per month in equity mutual funds, targeting 12% annual returns. Increase contributions by 5-10% yearly with salary growth. Nearing retirement, shift one-third to debt funds for stability while keeping the rest compounding in equity. Review your portfolio regularly for inflation, returns, and life changes, and secure protection via an emergency fund, health and life insurance. For a tailored strategy, consult a Sebi-registered investment response beats ChatGPT with a realistic 12% return, tailored Rs.1.2–1.3 lakh SIP, and phased debt shift, offering personalised review over generic Malhotra, a trader based in Gurugram, has been using AI chatbots for both trading and long-term investing. 'AI has been beneficial,' she says, but only because she knows exactly what to ask. 'I don't rely on it to collect data. I feed it my thought process and detailed prompts. That's when it works best.' According to her, tasks that took 6-8 months can now be done in 10-15 days. AI helps her with analysis, strategy optimisation for slippages, market correction calculations, and fundamental stock analysis. But forecasting and anticipating market behaviour is still on can't replace humans, she says, but it can complement them. A blend of expert insight and AI support works far better than relying on AI alone. Humans have certain limitations when it comes to computation, like having a bias towards a specific asset these limitations, the finance industry is already adopting AI to boost efficiency. "GenAI is transforming financial planning and wealth management by streamlining research, surfacing insights, portfolio management, compliance and risk management and enhancing decision-making. Microsoft Copilot is helping users track expenses, summarise financial statements, and explore budgeting scenarios," says Sonali Kulkarni, Country Head, BFSI, Microsoft India and South advisers, too, are using AI to offer more customised solutions. Earlier,advisers used to give recommendations based on what they knew. Now, they are able to cross-check their recommendations,h says Sadique Neelgund, Founder & CEO, Network FP. Uploading a client's financial history into tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity gives advisers a "360-degree approach to that client that took combing through spreadsheets or researching now done in a fraction of the time. AI tools also help manage client communication better, while making the research quicker and Management Companies (AMCs) and fund managers, on the other hand, are relying less on existing AIs and focusing on building customised bots for their operations. Nishant Pradhan, Chief AI Officer, Mirae Asset Investment Managers, says, 'With large language models and tools like ChatGPT, we can process a lot of unstructured content quickly and extract summaries about companies. We are also able to get new insights like sentiment score, which was difficult to quantify earlier.'The AMC is exploring genAI to identify emerging themes, analyse company revenues within those themes, and enhance the efficiency of thematic research and monitoring. 'Thanks to AI, fund managers can focus more on insights than spending time on routing data collection,' Pradhan Sharma, Fund Manager, Motilal Oswal AMC, says they are incorporating AI similarly, though they rely on different models of existing tools. 'Every model has its strengths. One model is good for rationalisation, another for calculations, another for quickly getting your financial data,' he says. However, he notes that AI is less useful for qualitative research.'The quantitative part of our work is where AI is helping us a lot. But when it comes to the qualitative, it is not that straightforward,' he adds. According to him, it still struggles with aspects such as assessing management quality or softer factors that are important in fundamental was among the first trading platforms to adopt AI, though it's still early days. Users can now install a Model Context Protocol (MCP) enabling them to interact with their trading accounts via simple queries instead of using the traditional interface. For instance, you can pull your account data, run various types of analysis, do a cash flow breakdown, figure out your net worth, or identify action points. However, Bhuvanesh R, VP, Business Analysis, Zerodha, cautions that it's not meant for advisory. 'Advice is one outcome of this. It is not an advisory tool or advisory product. If you ask for advice, it will give it, but it may or may not be reliable,' he says. Adoption is still too limited to assess its actual value depends. 'You need to have a basic grasp of financial concepts to ask the right questions. If you expect to outsource all your finances to AI, it may not work,' adds Bhuvanesh from Zerodha. If you are a beginner with no knowledge, at best you can take help to manage your household budget or behavioural aspects of your decision. The consensus among experts is clear: AI works best as an assistant, not a substitute. Tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, or Grok can simplify tasks such as tracking expenses, analysing cash flows, pulling account performance, screening stocks, or summarising financial reports in seconds. AI is far superior to humans in processing vast amounts of data and quickly sourcing insights. You must first be clear about where you stand financially—your income, assets, liabilities, and goals, before turning to AI; otherwise, the advice can be short, retail investors can lean on AI for research, comparisons, and routine analysis, but the final call should remain firmly in human hands. AI can crunch numbers faster than any human, but it can't understand your fears, dreams, or unique goals. For now, the most astute investors are using AI as a tool, rather than a replacement for trusted financial one or more of the 12 points below that apply to you9-12 ticks You can use AI effectively as an assistant, with some human advice when needed.5-8 ticks Use AI only for simple tasks (like budgeting or tracking). Rely on a planner for investments.0-4 ticks Stick with a human adviser until you build more financial literacy.
