Telangana unveils AI minister at Devfest 2026 in Hyderabad; aims to become a global AI hub

An artificial intelligence avatar is now stepping into the world of public governance in India. Telangana has unveiled an AI-powered digital twin of its IT minister, D. Sridhar Babu, at DevFest 2026 in Hyderabad. The virtual avatar can answer questions in English and Telugu with plans to eventually allow citizens to share feedback and raise grievances. Meet Telangana's new AI minister. Not an elected politician, not a government official, but an artificial intelligence avatar modelled on the state's IT minister, D. Sridhar Babu. The digital twin made its first live appearance at DevFest 2026 in Hyderabad, an event that brought together more than 3,300 developers, students and tech entrepreneurs. And it did more than just appear on screen. The AI avatar interacted with young attendees, answering questions about Telangana's technological ambitions and development plans. The technology was developed using TensorFlow's Humane platform, which is designed to create interactive AI assistants. The initiative was developed under the guidance of the state IT minister's advisor, Sai Krishna. But this is only the first phase because in the next stage, the government envisages making the digital avatar accessible to citizens across Telangana. The aim is to allow people to ask questions, provide feedback and submit grievances through the AI-powered system. And developers say the technology could help public leadership reach more people and better understand local concerns. Addressing the event virtually, IT Minister Sridhar Babu said, Telangana wants to become a global hub for artificial intelligence. He emphasized the role of students, startups and young developers in driving innovation. The event also featured sessions with more than 30 industry experts, along with networking and recruitment opportunities. In the next five years, we are going to double Hyderabad's infrastructure because you cannot have world-class companies without world-class foundations. But infrastructure alone is not enough. We want to be a place where the most ambitious technologists, founders and researchers come to build what comes next in AI, quantum computing, semiconductors and the technologies that will shape the next 50 years. So if I had to say it simply, we are inviting all of you to innovate, invest and build together with us because Telangana's next chapter belongs to the people in this room. For Telangana, the AI minister is being presented as a new way to connect technology with governance.