Telangana Poised to Take Lead in Digital Agriculture: Sridhar Babu
The Minister said the government’s vision is to make agriculture more profitable, sustainable, and climate-resilient through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced data-driven systems
Hyderabad: Telangana aims to emerge as a national leader in digital agriculture by integrating cutting-edge technologies with small and marginal farmers, Minister for Information Technology and Industries Duddilla Sridhar Babu said here on Tuesday.
Speaking after a meeting with representatives of Germany’s Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) at the Secretariat, the Minister said the government’s vision is to make agriculture more profitable, sustainable, and climate-resilient through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced data-driven systems.
“Our government is working with a clear commitment to reduce cultivation costs and minimise the use of chemical inputs,” Sridhar Babu said. “The goal is to help small and marginal farmers adopt technology that improves productivity, reduces financial burden, and protects the environment.”
Telangana’s economy, he noted, continues to rely heavily on agriculture, which provides livelihoods to over 55 per cent of the population and contributes significantly to the State’s Gross Domestic Product (GSDP). “At the same time, Telangana has become a global hub for emerging technologies. It is this unique combination that enables us to position the State as a model for digital agriculture,” he added.
Highlighting ongoing initiatives, the Minister said advanced soil sensors, early warning systems, and AI-based analytics can help farmers reduce pesticide usage, lower input costs, and adopt sustainable farming practices.
During the meeting, Sridhar Babu also reviewed the progress of the ‘Accelerating Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Telangana’ project, which is being implemented for the past two years in three villages near Vemulawada under the guidance of Fraunhofer HHI. He urged the German institute to expand the project across the State to reach more farmers.
