HYDERABAD: IT Minister D Sridhar Babu Announces AI Infrastructure Policy to Follow Global AI Summit
On Tuesday, IT Minister D Sridhar Babu revealed that the state government is poised to draft a policy on AI infrastructure following the Global AI Summit (GAIS), scheduled for September 5 and 6.
Speaking at the GAIS curtain raiser, organized by the Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA), an industry partner of the summit, Sridhar Babu outlined the vision for making Hyderabad a global AI capital. He stated, “Post-GAIS, we will embark on a new journey focused on developing the architecture needed to establish Hyderabad as a leading hub for AI. We have garnered interest from numerous key companies looking to partner with us.”
He highlighted that the summit’s goals extend beyond enhancing the IT sector, aiming to impact various sectors, including hospitality and defense, to improve productivity.
“We aim to integrate AI across all domains for a better quality of life, from agriculture and governance to industry and traffic management. Ethical considerations are also a priority. In the hospitality sector, we are expanding Global Capacity Centres (GCCs), with several deals in progress. In defense, we envision establishing both India-based and US-based GCCs, supported by our recent engagements in the US,” the IT minister added, reinforcing Hyderabad’s ambition to become the global AI capital.
Sridhar Babu noted that the initial investment is expected to exceed Rs 4 billion, with further increases anticipated. He emphasized the need for investment in AI R&D to achieve self-sustainability, stating, “We have top coders here. It’s time to develop products locally and export them.”
The minister also highlighted the government’s focus on integrating AI into the MSME sector, encouraging technological adoption and developing functional frameworks for its application.
IT department officials shared that efforts are underway to incorporate AI in manufacturing, the judiciary, and the narcotics bureau. “Recently, the Chief Justice of India explored the possibility of using AI to expedite case disposal by developing a tool to predict similar judgments, which could assist lawyers,” an official reported.
Sridhar Babu underscored HYSEA’s dedication to supporting the summit and fostering an industry-ready AI workforce. “We aim to upskill over 10,000 students in AI/GenAI in partnership with TASK, T-Hub, TSIC, and other key organizations,” he said. The government is also considering integrating AI into school curricula for grades 7 and 8.
Addressing concerns about AI displacing jobs, Sridhar Babu acknowledged the issue but emphasized the government’s focus on upskilling the workforce, citing the establishment of a Skill University as a key initiative.
