Hyderabad: Telangana has unveiled what it calls India’s first AI minister. At the Google Developer Group conference DevFest 2026 in Hyderabad on Saturday, a digital avatar of IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu took the stage, and it did something no minister’s portrait has done before. It answered questions live, in English and Telugu, from a hall full of young developers.
The avatar, described as a pre-AGI digital twin of the minister, was developed by Hyderabad-based TensorGo on its HumAIn platform, under the guidance of Sai Krishna, IT adviser to the minister. Its first live appearance came before more than 3,300 developers, students, engineers, architects and startup founders at the JRC Convention and Trade Fairs for DevFest 2026.
For Telangana, the moment was about more than a stage trick. The state has been pitching itself as India’s next big AI hub, and the AI minister is meant to show what that ambition looks like in practice: a government that citizens can talk to, not just hear from.
What happened on stage in Hyderabad
The unveiling was the headline moment of DevFest 2026, the annual conference organised by Google Developer Group (GDG) Hyderabad. The event ran on the theme “Build, Secure, Scale: Developers and Builders in the Agentic Era” and featured hands-on sessions led by more than 30 industry experts across four tracks: artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud computing, DevOps and mobile innovation.
When the AI minister appeared on screen, it fielded questions from Gen Z participants in the audience, covering Telangana’s vision for technology-led growth, and responded in real time in both English and Telugu. Minister Sridhar Babu himself addressed the gathering virtually, delivering a keynote titled “Innovation at Scale”.
“As Telangana works towards becoming a global AI hub, we want our young innovators to be at the centre of that journey,” he said. “The next big breakthrough in AI could come from a student, a startup or a young developer, and we want Telangana to be the place where those ideas get the opportunity to grow.”
What the AI minister is, and what it is not
It is important to be clear about what was unveiled. The AI minister is not a replacement for the minister, and it does not take decisions. It is a digital twin: an AI avatar trained to present the minister’s positions, explain the state’s technology vision and interact with citizens in a conversational way.
TensorGo describes its HumAIn platform as an enterprise-grade system for deploying pre-AGI AI teammates. Srini Chilukuri, founder of TensorGo Software, said the initiative reflects a shift towards AI teammates capable of seeing, hearing, understanding and acting alongside people. State officials framed it the same way: a new approach to citizen engagement, showing how emerging AI can create new ways for people to interact with public leadership.
What happens next: citizens get to talk back
The on-stage debut was only phase one. According to Sai Krishna, the next phase will let citizens interact with the avatar directly, share feedback and submit grievances, helping the minister reach a wider audience and surface grassroots concerns.
- Phase one (done): First live, on-stage launch at DevFest 2026, with the avatar answering audience questions in English and Telugu.
- Phase two (planned): Direct citizen interaction, including feedback and grievance submission through the avatar.
- The wider goal: A new channel between the government and citizens, built on the state’s pitch as a global AI hub.
Why Hyderabad, and why now
Hyderabad has spent years building its case as a technology city, and DevFest is one of the fixtures of that calendar. GDG Hyderabad’s conference is among the region’s largest on-ground developer gatherings, and this year’s edition doubled as a showcase for the state’s AI ambitions.
What to watch from here
The real test will not be a polished stage demo. It will be the second phase, when ordinary citizens start asking awkward questions and expecting useful answers. Accuracy, language coverage beyond English and Telugu, and a clear line between the avatar and the minister himself will all matter.
For now, though, Telangana has a talking point few other states can match: a minister who was in two places at once on Saturday, one of them on a screen, answering the next generation in their own languages.
FAQs
What is Telangana’s AI minister?
It is a pre-AGI digital twin, or AI avatar, of IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu, unveiled at DevFest 2026 in Hyderabad on October 24. It is designed to interact with citizens and explain the state’s technology vision.
Who developed the AI minister avatar?
Hyderabad-based TensorGo developed it on its HumAIn platform, under the guidance of Sai Krishna, IT adviser to the minister.
What languages does the AI minister speak?
At its launch it answered questions in English and Telugu. Wider language coverage may follow as the project develops.
Can citizens use the AI minister now?
Not yet for direct interaction. The on-stage launch was phase one; phase two will let citizens interact with the avatar, share feedback and submit grievances.
Telangana’s experiment will be watched closely across India. If a digital minister can genuinely help citizens be heard, Saturday’s unveiling may be remembered as more than a conference highlight.
