Latest news with #D.SridharBabu


The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Telangana unveils first State-led digital public infrastructure for AI
Telangana Data Exchange (TGDeX), a first-of-its-kind State platform to address challenges in AI innovation such as lack of access to clean, usable datasets, subsidised compute infrastructure and institutional pathways to scale beyond proof-of-concept was launched on Wednesday by IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu. Developed by the Emerging Technologies Wing of the State's IT department with strategic support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the JICA DXLab, Boston Consulting Group and the Center of Data for Public Good, IISc Bangalore, TGDeX seeks to lay the ground for a single secure, scalable environment supporting innovation. Ecosystem enablers such as T-Hub and Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) are also involved in providing value added services such as mentorship and access to markets and funding through 'Grand Challenges', the IT department said in a release on the launch event. 'We are building a digital bridge connecting data to decision making and bridging talent to opportunity. With TGDeX, we are launching a national blueprint for inclusive AI infrastructure,' Mr. Sridhar Babu said. IT and Industries Secretary Sanjay Kumar said, 'With TGDeX, we are enabling a future where a startup in Adilabad can access the same AI-building resources as someone in Hyderabad. We have more than 20 (government) departments on board already and aim to have all departments contribute to TGDeX in the next few months. A joint White Paper brought out by the State government and JICA outlining the TGDeX journey and lessons for other States was launched. JICA India Chief Representative Takeuchi Takuro reaffirmed JICA's commitment to Telangana and to India's broader AI and innovation journey. This White Paper aims to serve as a blueprint for how States and other countries in the Global South can build similar platforms tailored to local needs. Six winners of the Telangana AI Rising Grand Challenge, a pre-launch initiative that received over 420 proposals from 240 startups across the country, were felicitated. TGDeX is live and accessible at The platform houses over 500 datasets contributed by several State departments and aims to host datasets from private enterprises and academic institutions in the future.


The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Telangana's EV, electronics sectors feeling the heat of China's export curbs: Sridhar Babu
Industries and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu met Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday urging the Centre to immediately intervene and formulate strategic alternatives to mitigate the disruption resulting from China's export restrictions on rare earth elements. He raised serious concerns over the impact of the restrictions, particularly on the manufacturing ecosystem in Telangana, Mr. Sridhar Babu's office said in a release on the meeting in New Delhi. Vulnerable sector Critical inputs such as rare earth magnets, raw materials and specialty chemicals, essential for production of electronics and electric vehicles (EVs) are largely imported from China. The curbs on export of these materials by China recently are having a cascading effect on domestic industries. 'If this trend continues, it will cause significant economic damage — with Telangana's manufacturing sector being particularly vulnerable,' he said in a representation to the Union Minister. Mr. Sridhar Babu underscored the need for the Centre to urgently assess the ground realities and initiate measures to secure alternative supply chains, ensuring the momentum in electronics and EV manufacturing is not hampered. 'The government must step in to shield our industries from supply shocks,' the Minister said, calling for a national strategy to diversify sourcing and boost domestic capacity.


The Hindu
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Safran to expand operations with MRO facility for Rafale
French aerospace giant Safran plans to establish a new entity to focus on maintenance and overhaul of Rafale fighter jet engines, specifically the M88 engines, a senior executive of the company who met Telangana Industries and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu said on Tuesday. The initiative is expected to create around 150 jobs by 2026 with potential to add another 750 positions in subsequent phases. Safran Aircraft Engine Services India will be the name of the new entity, Safran's General Manager Pierre Fernandez informed during the meeting, the Minister's office said in a release. Safran, which has two world-class production facilities in Hyderabad, is significantly expanding operations in Telangana, with a major investment in the city. Safran's Hyderabad operations are poised to become a central hub for the production and export of critical components for Rafale engines. The State government's support has been instrumental in positioning Hyderabad as a leading aerospace hub. The Minister's office said the upcoming expansion of the operations underscores Safran's strategic focus on India as a key market and its commitment to contributing to the country's aerospace and defence capabilities. The announcement on the MRO comes on the back of Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems signing four production transfer agreements to manufacture the Rafale fighter aircraft fuselage in India. Under the partnership, Tata Advanced Systems will set up a cutting-edge production facility in Hyderabad for the manufacture of key structural sections of the Rafale, including the lateral shells of the rear fuselage, the complete rear section, the central fuselage, and the front section. The first fuselage sections are expected to roll off the assembly line in FY2028, with the facility expected to deliver up to two complete fuselages per month, the two companies said earlier this month.


The Hindu
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Telangana govt integrating AI into TG-iPASS industrial system to enhance transparency, speed of approval
Telangana government is in the process of incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools into its famed TG-iPASS, the industrial approval system that in the 10 years since introduction has been instrumental in helping attract multi-million dollar investments to the State, while serving as a model for others. Industries and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu announced the decision to integrate AI into the Telangana Industrial Project Approval and Self-Certification System (TG-iPASS) during an interaction with a delegation of French business representatives that met him at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat in Hyderabad on Tuesday (June 24, 2025). The AI integration is to enhance transparency and speed in clearances, he said, without elaborating further, as per a press release on the meeting from the Minister's office. The State government statistics show that as many as 27,592 projects involving an investment of ₹3,02,330.96 crore were approved under TG-iPASS (TS-iPASS initially before the Telangana abbreviation changed to TG) from the time of launch in 2014-15. Of them, 24,920 are in the manufacturing sector and the remaining 2,667 in the Services sector. More than 1.89 lakh jobs are to be generated by the approved projects. The approval system was one of the earliest and important policy measures decisions of the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS, then TRS) government led by K. Chandrashekar Rao that assumed office after the State was formed in 2014 and retained power for another term. Congress party that rode to power under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy in 2023 had initially dropped hints of tweaking the approval system before introducing MSME Policy last year to bridge the gaps in TG-iPASS. The latest announcement on integrating AI into the system assumes significance in the backdrop of the Congress government's emphasis on transforming the State into a hub for emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence by consolidating on Hyderabad's position as a magnet for IT firms. The Revanth Reddy-government is also conceiving a Future City, something that Mr .Sridhar Babu urged the French delegation members to explore for their investment and growth opportunities. He urged the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) — which was behind the meeting on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) — and its member-companies to actively explore opportunities in Telangana's prestigious Future City project which is an upcoming 30,000-acre global innovation hub being developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. He highlighted that the project is aligned with the vision of the Chief Minister to position Telangana as a world leader in innovation, sustainability and advanced infrastructure, the Minister's office said. 'Telangana has emerged as a preferred investment destination, attracting [an additional] over ₹3 lakh crore in investments in the past 18 months. Last year alone, Hyderabad welcomed 70 new Global Capability Centres (GCCs), a reflection of the State's pro-business policies and governance model,' he said. Clean energy and green mobility, smart healthcare and digital governance, future-ready education, sustainable manufacturing and agri-innovation and emerging technologies are some of the areas in which the French businesses could consider investing in the State. 'Our collaboration with French enterprises goes beyond investments — it is about co-creating a sustainable and technology-driven future,' he told the delegation that included senior representatives from various companies. Some of the well known French firms, including Sanofi, Monin, Safran, Capgemini, Dassault, Teleperformance and Opella Healthcare already have a strong presence across sectors like aerospace, IT, pharmaceuticals and food processing, in the State. The Minister emphasised on the importance of deepening Indo-French collaborations, while reiterating Telangana government's commitment to strengthen economic partnerships and facilitating seamless investments.

The Hindu
21-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
‘Telangana aims to be healing capital of the world through AI-driven healthcare'
Telangana is setting its sights on becoming the 'healing capital of the world' by embedding Artificial Intelligence (AI), advanced data systems, and cutting-edge research into every layer of its healthcare infrastructure, said IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu on Saturday. He was speaking at the 'AI in Healthcare' conference hosted by Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad. The State's vision to lead a global transformation in affordable and quality healthcare, powered by innovation and technology, was discussed at the meet. 'We have long been the pharmacy capital of the world, now we want to be seen as its healing capital. We are not just following the global healthcare revolution. Telangana intends to lead it, with Hyderabad at the centre,' the Minister said. Pointing to the State's affordability advantage, he said that Hyderabad offers high-quality medical procedures such as IVF, heart surgeries, and joint replacements at 70% to 90% lower costs compared to the West, without compromising on standards. 'It is not just about cost, it's about quality, care, and value. Telangana is delivering all three,' he said. He highlighted the need for proactive investments in innovation, research, and preventive healthcare. 'Our healthcare system cannot be reactive. It must stay ten steps ahead and for that, we must adopt technologies like AI, quantum computing, and data science at scale,' he said. He further added that Telangana is building hyperscale data centres, medical device manufacturing clusters, and a vibrant health-tech startup eco-system. 'We are training 2 lakh AI engineers and nurturing over 900 AI startups. Most of India's AI healthcare startups are based in Telangana,' the Minister said. The conference also featured insights from global technology leaders on the future of AI in healthcare. Chandu Thota, Vice President of Engineering at Google, described AI as one of the 'moonshot' solutions for the future of medicine. Michael D. Howell, Chief Clinical Officer at Google, highlighted the impact of AI on clinical decision-making and drug discovery. 'AI must be integrated into medicine with transparency, accountability, and empathy. Where drug discovery used to take a decade, AI can now identify promising treatments in months by analysing vast datasets, from clinical trials to genomics. This will make personalized medicine not just possible, but practical,' he said in his keynote address. Gorukanti Ravinder Rao, Founder and Chairman of Yashoda Group of Hospitals, reinforced the human-centric promise of AI in surgical care. 'AI is not here to replace doctors, it is here to empower them,' he said.