PNS|Vijayawada
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched Andhra Pradesh into a bold digital future on Thursday, asserting that Artificial Intelligence (AI) must become the backbone of governance—powered by smart systems and grounded in human empathy.
Inaugurating a two-day workshop on ‘AI and Emerging Technologies for Government Digital Transformation’ at the Secretariat, the CM said the State stands at the threshold of an “inspiring era” of AI-led governance. The workshop, held in collaboration with the Wadhwani Centre for Government Digital Transformation, is aimed at equipping senior and mid-level officials with AI-driven governance tools.
Calling for an AI champion in every department, Chandrababu stressed the need for each unit of government to identify and implement relevant AI use cases. “Hard work is no longer enough. We must focus on smart, flexible work,” he said, advocating for a shift from outdated systems to real-time, digital governance.
The CM elaborated on plans to build a massive State-run Data Lake to unify datasets across departments, enabling predictive and integrated governance. “We will integrate all data, and the Planning Department must use it to prepare for the future,” he said.
The Chief Minister highlighted practical examples of technology’s power, from drone surveillance to prevent illegal cultivation to Aadhaar-linked home deliveries during natural disasters. He said every family should have someone capable of developing or applying such use cases, reinforcing that technology must always serve people.
Reflecting on the journey of innovation, he recalled struggling to secure a 2 Mbps internet connection during his early governance days. “Today, we talk about gigabits. That’s how far we’ve come,” he said, crediting past telecom reforms and early e-governance initiatives.
Reiterating the importance of infrastructure in catalyzing growth, the CM said Andhra Pradesh is targeting full saturation of essentials like housing and sanitation by 2028–29, with the help of Public-Private-People Partnerships (P4). He expressed confidence in achieving 15 per cent economic growth, citing the transformation of Telangana from an agrarian region to the State with the highest per capita income in India.
Despite the push for AI, the Chief Minister stressed the importance of a human touch in governance. “Technology must solve people’s problems. It must have a human angle,” he said, noting that 75 per cent of governance-related grievances are tied to land issues. Digitisation of land records, which he initiated in the erstwhile unified Andhra Pradesh, remains a crucial priority.
Chandrababu pointed out that India’s innovation ecosystem has matured to the point where startups are building satellites at a fraction of global costs. “We once watched ISRO with awe. Today, the world watches us,” he remarked.
Earlier, R Chandrasekhar, former Secretary, MEITY and DOT, commended Chandrababu’s foresight, saying, “When he was CM of united AP, he realised early on that IT could transform governance. The entire nation learned from AP’s pioneering steps.”
The workshop is seen as a foundation for a new governance paradigm, one where AI, data and innovation work together to deliver citizen-first governance. With Andhra Pradesh leading the charge, the future of Indian governance looks digital, dynamic, and deeply people centric.
