Minister Sridhar Babu: AI, IoT to drive Telangana’s digital farming push
HYDERABAD: Telangana is gearing up to become a national leader in digital agriculture by leveraging emerging technologies for the benefit of small and marginal farmers, Minister for Information Technology and Industries Duddilla Sridhar Babu said on Tuesday.
Telangana to integrate AI and IoT in farming
Speaking after a meeting with representatives of Germany’s Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) at the State Secretariat, Sridhar Babu said the government’s goal is to make agriculture more profitable, sustainable and climate-resilient through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and data-driven systems.
“Our government is working with a clear commitment to reduce cultivation costs and minimise the use of chemical inputs,” he said. “The aim is to help small and marginal farmers adopt technologies that improve productivity, reduce financial burden, and protect the environment.”
Agriculture still key to Telangana’s economy
The minister noted that agriculture continues to provide livelihoods to more than 55% of Telangana’s population, contributing substantially to the State’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). “At the same time, Telangana has become a global hub for emerging technologies. This unique combination enables us to position the State as a model for digital agriculture,” he added.
German collaboration for climate-resilient farming
Reviewing the progress of the ‘Accelerating Climate-Resilient Agriculture in Telangana’ project — implemented for the past two years in three villages near Vemulawada under the guidance of Fraunhofer HHI — Sridhar Babu urged the institute to expand the initiative across the State.
He said technologies such as advanced soil sensors, early warning systems and AI-based analytics can help farmers reduce pesticide use, lower input costs and adopt sustainable practices.
The meeting was attended by M. Kodanda Reddy, Chairman of the Telangana State Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Commission; Anvesh Reddy, Chairman of the Telangana State Seeds Corporation; Volker Kleima, Head of the Food and Agriculture Division at the Embassy of Germany (New Delhi); and Fraunhofer HHI representatives Dr. Sebastian Bosse and Dr. Raghu Chaliganti.
