Telangana has become the first State in the country to unveil a State-led digital public infrastructure for artificial intelligence.
The Telangana Data Exchange (TGDeX) was launched by IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu in Hyderabad.
This initiative aims to address persistent challenges in AI innovation, such as limited access to clean, usable datasets, subsidised computing infrastructure, and institutional pathways to scale beyond proof-of-concept.
TGDeX has been developed by the Emerging Technologies Wing of the State’s IT department, with strategic support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the JICA DXLab, Boston Consulting Group, and the Centre of Data for Public Good at IISc Bangalore.
With this novel initiative, Telangana has not only taken a lead in AI infrastructure but also offered a scalable model for inclusive innovation.
By connecting talent across regions, securing public datasets, and building international partnerships, TGDeX is set to shape India’s digital AI future while offering guidance to other developing economies.
TGDeX seeks to lay the groundwork for a single, secure, scalable environment that supports innovation. Ecosystem enablers such as T-Hub and the Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) are also involved in providing value-added services, including mentorship and access to markets and funding through ‘Grand Challenges’, the IT department said in a release on the launch event.
“We are building a digital bridge connecting data to decision-making and bridging talent to opportunity. With TGDeX, we are launching a national blueprint for inclusive AI infrastructure,” Sridhar Babu said.
IT and Industries Secretary Sanjay Kumar said, “With TGDeX, we are enabling a future where a start-up in remote Adilabad can access the same AI-building resources as someone in Hyderabad. We have more than 20 government departments on board already and aim to have all departments contribute to TGDeX in the coming months.”
A joint White Paper brought out by the State government and JICA outlining the TGDeX journey and lessons for other States was also launched. JICA India Chief Representative Takeuchi Takuro reaffirmed JICA’s commitment to Telangana and to India’s broader AI and innovation journey.
This White Paper aims to serve as a blueprint for how States and other countries in the Global South can build similar platforms tailored to local needs.
Six winners of the Telangana AI Rising Grand Challenge, a pre-launch initiative that received over 420 proposals from 240 start-ups across the country, were felicitated.
The platform currently houses over 500 datasets contributed by several State departments and aims to host datasets from private enterprises and academic institutions in the future.
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