Telangana is acting as a test-bed for scalable emerging technologies solutions: KTR

IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao, describing Telangana as a trend-setter in the country on various fronts, exuded confidence that the State, should it be allowed to compete with other nations in ‘Ease of Doing’ business parameter, would emerge among the top 20 countries in this category.

“Several policies and initiatives of the Telangana State government are today a role model to become self-reliant in various sectors,” the Minister said, in a conversation with Google India Country Head Sanjay Gupta at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum’s 3rd Annual Leadership (virtual) Summit ‘US-India week 2020: Navigating New Challenges.’

“With a rich data and innovation ecosystem, Telangana is acting as a test-bed for scalable emerging technologies solutions. If we solve for Telangana, we solve for the world and we welcome the world to come and partner with us. Let’s solve it together,” he said.

Stating that the global Covid crisis had opened up many business opportunities, Rama Rao said India had a great opportunity to attract global investors to the country. “India can benefit by attracting investments, but investors must not see the entire country through the same prism, but try to locate States that have a progressive outlook and engage with them in a big way,” he said.

Dwelling extensively on the role of the Telangana government in transforming the State and Hyderabad into an innovation hub and the favorite destination for global companies, the Minister highlighted the setting up of T-Hub after State formation and the ‘Innovation Policy’ which defined a holistic approach to bridge the gaps between start-ups and government and to build the start-up ecosystem.

“Today, the innovation ecosystem model which consists of organisations such as T-Hub, TSIC, We-Hub, T Works, and RICH who work actively with academia, industry, and government departments to spur innovation, is considered as one of the best models in the country,” he said.

The Minister



pointed out that digital lessons of the Education Department for kindergarten children to postgraduate students are being broadcast over television on T-SAT Vidya, Nipuna, Doordarshan Saptagiri, and Doordarshan Yadagiri. T-SAT’s channels can be viewed on all digital platforms and local cable networks in the State, he added.

Stressing on the importance of local language content to ensure wider reach and penetration, Rama Rao said the School Education Department has created around 900 digital lessons in Telugu medium for telecast for Classes VI to X.

Shifting to technology, the Minister said the government has formulated actionable strategies for developing robust local ecosystems for AI, Blockchain, Drones, IoT, and Cyber Security. Telangana, he pointed out, was also the first State to have policy and strategy documents for AI, Blockchain, and drones. “We are recognised as undisputed thought leaders in these areas among Indian State governments,” he added.

“Telangana has clearly defined its vision to be a global leader in emerging technologies including AI and has made rapid strides towards achieving the vision. The State government declared 2020 as the Year of AI to accelerate AI readiness and develop a conducive AI innovation ecosystem in the State, opening new avenues of AI-led innovation for social impact, especially in the public sector,” he said.

He said capitalising on the value of emerging technologies such as AI, Blockchain, drones and IoT has the potential to impact productivity and efficiency at all stages of the agricultural value chain.

Referring to the Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self-Certification System (TS-iPASS) initiative that was launched six years ago, the Minister said that the State had succeeded in attracting huge investments to the State with the help of the policy. “We have introduced several reforms which are comparable with similar policies drafted and introduced elsewhere in the world,” he said.