Telangana is Walking the Talk in AI With 52 Use Cases The minister and the department are making large sets of data available to the public through its open data portal. They've also tied up to provide high-performance computing facilities, particularly to startups

It was in 2020, when the government of Telangana, amid the challenging state of healthcare, stood firm by its decision to continue celebrating 2020 as the 'Year of AI' in the southern state.

The work for it began in 2019, "We did something very important, which was to bring out an AI framework," said Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary of the Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT) Departments, Telangana government. He calls the recently announced India AI Mission framework being close to that of the state's.

The minister and the department are making large sets of data available to the public through its open data portal. They've also tied up to provide high-performance computing facilities, particularly to startups.

Back in the day, he served as the officiating vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad where they implemented the decision to make a course of AI compulsory, irrespective of the branch. "It was not just a formality. You had to attend classes, show attendance, and pass exams. And of course, if you like what you have learned, you can do more advanced courses, but everyone has to do a basic foundational course," he said.

Perhaps this mindset prepared the state to lead in AI adoption in 2024. Currently, the Telangana government has deployed over 50 use cases in four years. "We have been able to roll out 52 cases while there are other states and governments that are still developing familiarity with AI."

With the focus being on mobility; healthcare; law enforcement & traffic; agriculture; and e-governance, the aim of Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) is to make Hyderabad among the top 25 Global AI Innovation Hubs. In partnership with Nasscom, they've set up an innovation program 'Revv Up'. Under it, over 150 startups have been supported, "We feel very satisfied with some amazing, cool and impactful solutions which have come."

The AI solution rollout has also been done in 14 public departments. Sharing about a case study, he shares "A few months ago, we started a very interesting project. The problem of drug menace is there throughout the country. A large number of young people fall prey to drugs. It is estimated that in Telangana alone, there are 2.9 million drug users, and many of them are very young, and waste their lives. So we developed an AI-enabled screening application called Mitra. If the parents or the teachers get some sense, then they have to fill out a 39-point survey. Then the AI algorithm takes over and the survey tells what is the probability of that person eventually becoming a full-blown addict, and what kind of interventions can be planned for them."

"The initial results are very encouraging," he added.

Notably, one of the hackathon outcomes has created a solution which takes care of poaching. They have been able to develop a useful and tested AI-based solution, which does image recognition, "The trials have happened in a couple of wildlife reserves in the state."

"Many governments I know are serious about implementing AI solutions, but how do you procure this solution becomes a big problem. So we have figured this out. There's a good template, and the very fact that we have been able to roll out 52 in the last four years, shows that there is a tested way of procuring. If it is a homegrown startup from Hyderabad, we give them a direct business opportunity," he said at the Global IndiaAI Summit 2024.

Inviting startups to work with the state government, he concluded "We'll give you multiple ways of assistance. But more than anything else, we'll give you your first work order, possibly without any process. There are no bids or competition. You just come and take this work order, implement your solution, and then hopefully it'll open many more doors elsewhere."

AI is going strong in the state's mind. Recently, it was reported to have bet on AI to boost IT exports to USD 200 billion by 2030. It is hinted to get its mega plans for an AI city spread over 200 acres on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

It also counts a global applied AI research centre and Centre for Responsible Deployment of Emerging Technologies (CRDET) under its AI initiatives.