Telangana AI Rising Grand Challenge 2025

Telangana AI Rising Grand Challenge - Calling all Visionary AI Startups!

This page is a record of the Telangana AI Rising Grand Challenge as its website read in November 2025. The challenge has closed: no entries are accepted here, and this page is not operated by the Government of Telangana or by nasscom.

Telangana Government invites you to solve real-world challenges with AI.

Explore use cases

Solve. Win. Implement.

Win 15 Lakhs per use case & deploy a live pilot with the Government.

6 Challenges. Multiple sectors.

Healthcare, Education, Transportation & beyond.

Our Partners

Implementation Partner

Enabling Partner

Knowledge Partner

Domain Partner

Mentoring Partner

Technology Partner

Robotic hand touching a glowing 2025 sign on a circuit board

About the Challenge

The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Telangana launched the State’s AI Strategy & Implementation Roadmap in the Global AI Summit in Sept 2024. One of the core elements of this strategy is the enablement of innovation by startups, leveraging the State's rich AI ecosystem. The State is developing the Telangana Data Exchange (TGDeX) platform, which will be launched soon. The TGDeX is envisioned to enable the provision of and access to data to fuel AI innovation across sectors through a collaborative approach.

The Telangana AI Rising Grand Challenge is a complementary initiative to TGDeX, comprising of 6 problem statements/ use-cases. It offers startups a unique opportunity to work on critical issues in sectors like healthcare, education, transportation and beyond. The Winner for each use-case will get a grant support of INR 15 Lakh and an opportunity to develop a real-world pilot for the State.

The Challenge is an invaluable opportunity for startups to gain visibility, credibility and a powerful launchpad for growth. Don’t miss this chance to make a meaningful impact while accelerating your startup’s journey!

Use Cases

Clinician in scrubs examining a holographic scan of human lungs

AI-Powered Medical Imaging Diagnostics

Problem Statement

Conditions such as Tuberculosis (TB), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), lung cancer, and silicosis rely heavily on timely and accurate X-ray or CT/MRI imaging for diagnosis. The department aims to improve efficiency of radiologists and reduce patient wait times to enhance turnaround time of diagnostics. Additionally, the adoption of AI in medical imaging faces challenges such as integration with existing clinical workflows and ensuring accessibility in remote areas with limited connectivity.

Objective of the Challenge
  • Automate Image Analysis: Develop AI models that can automatically detect and classify abnormalities in medical images (e.g., X-rays, CT/MRI scans) related to TB, COPD, lung cancer, and silicosis.
  • Prioritize Critical Cases: Implement triage systems to prioritize high-risk cases, flagging them for immediate review by healthcare professionals.
  • Integrate with Existing Systems: Ensure seamless integration of AI solutions with existing clinical workflows and hospital IT systems (e.g., PACS), including user-friendly interfaces for non-technical staff.
  • Streamline Diagnostic Processes: Shorten the time required for diagnoses and support more consistent outcomes using AI-enabled tools.
  • Ensure Scalability and Accessibility: Make AI solutions accessible in both urban and remote areas, ensuring compatibility with limited infrastructure such as internet connectivity or hardware in rural settings.
Expected Outcomes
  • Faster Diagnostic Turnaround: Reduced wait times for imaging results, allowing for timely interventions and treatments.
  • Improved Diagnostic Accuracy: AI-driven insights to support more accurate and consistent identification of TB, COPD, lung cancer, and silicosis in medical images.
  • Reduced Radiologist Workload: Automation of routine image analysis tasks, enabling radiologists to focus on high-priority cases and complex diagnoses.
  • Increased Healthcare Access: Enable healthcare facilities in remote or resource-constrained areas to conduct AI-powered diagnostics even with limited infrastructure.
  • Compliance with health data protection laws.
  • Scalable Integration: A sustainable solution that can be expanded across multiple healthcare facilities with seamless integration into existing systems.
Expectant mother resting in an armchair with her hands on her belly

AI-Powered High-Risk Pregnancy Prediction & Intervention

Problem Statement

In Telangana, the healthcare system operates across three tiers—primary, secondary, and tertiary—with varying levels of care and resources. High-risk pregnancies, when missed, can lead to life-threatening emergencies, while unnecessary referrals can overwhelm higher-tier centers.

Objective of the Challenge

The goal of this challenge is to implement an AI-based system that:

  • Predicts high-risk pregnancies using maternal health data.
  • Provides real-time decision support for timely referrals to CHCs, district hospitals, or tertiary centers.
  • Improves maternal and fetal outcomes by enabling earlier detection and intervention.
Expected Outcomes
  • Improved Risk Prediction: AI model delivers accurate high-risk scores, minimizing missed cases.
  • Optimized Referrals: Automated referral guidance ensures patients are sent to the right facility at the right time.
  • Efficient Healthcare Resource Use: Reduces unnecessary referrals and overload on tertiary centers.
  • Better Maternal and Fetal Health: Early identification of risks leads to better care and outcomes.
  • Enhanced Accessibility: Lightweight, offline-capable mobile app for rural healthcare workers to easily input data and receive AI support.
  • Adhere to Data Privacy Regulations: Comply with health data protection laws.
Young plants growing out of a rising bar chart over printed business reports

AI Chatbot for MSME Scheme Guidance

Problem Statement

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are crucial for economic growth but often struggle to navigate the complex and large number of government schemes available for support. Many MSMEs are unaware of schemes or face difficulties understanding eligibility criteria, requirements, and application procedures, which results in missed opportunities for financial incentives and growth. With over 80 MSME schemes at central and state levels, the process is often cumbersome and time-consuming, especially for smaller businesses with limited resources. The lack of personalized, step-by-step guidance and difficulties with digital tools further hinder MSMEs from accessing relevant opportunities.

Objective of the Challenge
  • Simplify Scheme Discovery: Provide an AI-powered conversational interface that helps MSME owners identify relevant schemes quickly and accurately.
  • Personalized Scheme Recommendations: Tailor scheme suggestions based on the specific profile of the MSME, including business type, turnover, and district.
  • Enhance Application Process: Assist MSMEs in understanding documentation requirements, deadlines, and workflows with interactive checklists and potential form auto-fill capabilities.
  • Increase Accessibility: Ensure the chatbot is accessible across multiple channels (web, mobile) with regional language support for a broader audience.
  • Continuous Learning and Improvement: Implement feedback loops and continuous updates to improve the chatbot’s ability to provide accurate and relevant information.
Expected Outcomes
  • Reduced Application Complexity: Simplified and personalized guidance on scheme eligibility, application steps, and documentation requirements, leading to more accurate and complete applications.
  • Increased Awareness of Available Schemes: MSMEs will be more aware of the financial incentives, technology upgrades, and support schemes available to them, fostering growth.
  • Improved MSME Access to Government Support: By automating and personalizing the process, MSMEs will be able to more easily apply for schemes that match their needs, reducing administrative burdens.
  • Enhanced User Experience: MSME owners will find it easier to interact with the platform through a simple, conversational chatbot, improving engagement even for those with limited tech expertise.
  • Omnichannel Accessibility: MSMEs, especially those in rural areas with limited connectivity, will be able to access the chatbot via web and mobile increasing the reach and usability of the service.
  • Data-Driven Insights: The chatbot’s ability to capture feedback and refine its responses will enhance the relevance and accuracy of the information provided over time, improving its effectiveness for MSME owners.
  • Scalable and Future-Proof Solution: The system can be enhanced to include features such as direct application submission and real-time status tracking, ensuring long-term scalability and continuous improvement.
City bus standing on an illuminated street map with route markers

Optimizing Public Transport Utilization with AI

Problem Statement

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) operates thousands of buses serving millions of passengers daily, but faces significant challenges in optimizing bus allocations across its routes. Certain routes experience underutilized buses at certain times, while others face overcrowding, leading to inefficiencies in bus deployment and missed revenue opportunities. The department wants to improve the operation effectiveness and meet the demand efficiently keeping in mind the Mahalaxmi program which offers free tickets to women passengers.

Objective of the Challenge
  • Maximize Revenue: Utilize TGSRTC’s pricing data to guide revenue calculations, ensuring buses are assigned to routes and times where they can earn the highest total revenue.
  • Maximize Seat Occupancy: Align bus supply with demand to minimize empty seats and reduce overcrowding, ensuring efficient bus utilization.
  • Accurate Demand Handling: Forecast both paid and free (Mahalaxmi) rider demand, ensuring that capacity planning reflects actual occupancy for both paid and free riders.
  • Adherence to Operational Constraints: Ensure bus allocations adhere to fleet limits, mandatory service requirements, and seat capacity constraints for each route.
Expected Outcomes
  • Optimized Bus Allocation: AI-driven route optimization ensures buses are deployed where demand is highest, improving revenue potential and seat occupancy.
  • Increased Revenue: By optimizing routes and times, TGSRTC can capitalize on untapped revenue opportunities and reduce missed revenue due to unallocated or underutilized buses.
  • Improved Operational Efficiency: The system ensures bus deployments are aligned with actual demand (including Mahalaxmi riders), reducing overcrowding on high-demand routes and minimizing empty buses on low-demand ones.
  • Accurate Forecasting: Enhanced demand forecasting considering historical trends, seasonality, and events helps create a more accurate and responsive bus allocation schedule.
  • Enhanced Mahalaxmi Program Integration: Mahalaxmi passengers are factored into the seat allocation process, ensuring capacity planning is accurate and reflects the true demand.
  • Scalability and Flexibility: The system is scalable to handle hundreds of routes and thousands of departures, providing a feasible solution that can be updated daily or on-demand based on new data.
  • Improved Service Levels: By identifying peak and slack hours and assessing boarding/alighting points, the system helps improve service efficiency and identify opportunities for service improvements.
Schoolgirl drawing on a tablet with a stylus over open workbooks

AI-Based Interactive Vocabulary Learning for Multilingual Classrooms

Problem Statement

Traditional vocabulary learning methods in Telangana schools rely on memorization, limiting student engagement and interaction. Additionally, there is a pressing need to support multilingual education and offer personalized feedback. This challenge outlines the need for an interactive, accessible solution that promotes vocabulary development in English and Telugu.

Objective of the Challenge

Develop and deploy an AI-powered Draw-and-Learn tool that:

  • Enhances vocabulary development in students through interactive, visual learning.
  • Supports multilingual education by providing word recognition in English, and Telugu.
  • Offers real-time, personalized feedback to improve student engagement and learning outcomes.
  • Ensures the tool is usable in low-connectivity environments and requires minimal hardware, making it accessible across diverse schools in Telangana.
  • Gathers continuous feedback from teachers to fine-tune the AI model and ensure long-term improvements.
Expected Outcomes
  • Increased Student Engagement: The tool’s interactive, creative approach will increase student interest and participation in vocabulary development.
  • Improved Vocabulary Retention: By associating words with images and drawing activities, students are likely to retain new vocabulary better.
  • Support for Multilingual Learning: The tool’s multilingual capabilities will ensure all students, regardless of their language background, have access to the same learning opportunities.
  • Personalized Learning: AI-driven feedback and adaptive learning will cater to individual student needs, improving learning speeds and comprehension.
  • Scalable Solution: The system will be scalable across schools in Telangana, with offline capabilities for remote areas and a low hardware footprint.
  • Continuous Improvement: Regular updates to the AI model based on teacher feedback and real-time data will ensure the tool becomes more robust over time, continuously improving vocabulary development for students.
Property registration document and pen beside a small model house

AI-Powered Document Verification for Property Registration

Problem Statement

The Department of Registration and Stamps processes thousands of property documents daily. The department needs to ensure in a systemic, tech-enabled way that there are no errors / discrepancies in the registration process.

Objective of the Challenge

To implement an AI-driven solution that detects discrepancies in real-time by:

  • Comparing pre-registration data with documents.
  • Validating market values using location-based checks against circle rates.
  • Providing immediate alerts to ensure timely correction.
Expected Outcomes
  • Fewer Errors in Documents: Customers can be confident and assured that the data entry/ index pertaining to registred documents is accurate resulting in error-free Encumbrance Certificate.
  • Faster Registration Process: With real-time checks, the overall time taken to process and approve documents is significantly reduced.
  • Fair and Transparent Valuation: Property values are validated against official rates based on location, ensuring fair Valuation and transparency.
  • Reduced Hassles and Rework: Immediate alerts help address issues early, minimizing delays, repeated visits, or document corrections.
  • Greater Trust in the System: A more reliable and efficient process increases customer trust in the registration and stamping system.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Startup Registration icon

    Startup Registration

    The startup should not be older than 10 years from the date of incorporation. (April 1, 2015)

  • Technology and Innovation icon

    Technology & Innovation

    The proposed solution must incorporate an AI first approach.

  • Operational Presence icon

    Operational Presence

    The startup must be headquartered in India

  • Funding and Revenue icon

    Funding & Revenue

    Open to bootstrapped and funded startups (Angel to Series A).
    Annual revenue must not exceed ₹100 crore.

  • Commitment and Impact icon

    Commitment & Impact

    Must be willing to collaborate with government and industry partners for real-world deployment.

Rewards

  • Reward marker₹15 Lakhs Financial Aid per Use Case
  • Reward markerReal-World Pilot Implementation Opportunity with Govt. Of Telangana
  • Reward markerMentorship by Peak XV
  • Reward marker$5K AWS Credits for Each Top 3 startups per Use Case
  • Reward marker₹8 Lakh in cloud credits to each winner across 6 Use Cases by E2E Networks
  • Reward markerAnd many more!

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria for Round 1: Submitting Approach Note

Proposed Solution and Approach (40%)
  • How well is the proposed solution explained?
  • Is the approach innovative, and does it address the root cause of the problem?
  • Is the AI technology choice justified and relevant to the solution?
Feasibility and Scalability (30%)
  • How feasible is the solution from a technical, operational, and financial perspective?
  • Does the solution have scalability potential for real-world implementation?
Team Capability and Expertise (30%)
  • Does the team possess the necessary skills and expertise to execute the proposed solution?
  • Are the roles and responsibilities within the team clearly defined?

Evaluation Criteria for Round 2: Building Proof of Concept

Implementation and Technical Execution (30%)
  • How well is the POC developed and implemented?
  • Does the solution demonstrate robust technical execution and working AI algorithms?
Solution Effectiveness (25%)
  • How effectively does the POC address the identified problem?
  • Are the results of the POC in line with the expectations set by the approach note?
Innovation and Differentiation (15%)
  • How innovative is the solution in comparison to existing technologies or solutions?
  • Does the POC showcase unique features or enhancements?
User Experience and Usability (15%)
  • Is the POC user-friendly and easy to navigate?
  • How intuitive is the interface, if applicable, and how well does it meet user needs?
Scalability and Practical Application (15%)
  • How scalable is the POC for real-world deployment?
  • Does the solution demonstrate potential for future growth and impact?

Terms & Conditions

  • Teams will have three (3) weeks to develop and submit their Proof of Concept (PoC) if selected for Round 2.
  • Submissions must include the solution, approach/methodology, and source code for jury evaluation.
  • Solutions must be hosted online and accessible for the jury to evaluate.
  • Evaluation criteria will include both qualitative and quantitive measures to assess problem-solving effectiveness.
  • The jury’s decision will be final and binding.

Jury Members

Grand Finale

  • Dr. V.K Sumithra Nair

    MD General Medicine, DGO, PGDHM State Programme Officer – Maternal Health Office of Commissioner Health & Family Welfare,

  • Mr Kotha Shisheer Kumar

    Director, Smart Manufacturing & AI
    Micron Technology

  • Dr Rakesh Kalpala

    Director, Center for Artificial Intelligence and Innovation
    AIG Hospitals

  • Mr Pradeep Manohar

    Director, Smart Manufacturing & AI
    Micron Technology

  • Dr Inayathullah Ghori

    Chief Information Officer
    Kamineni Hospitals

  • Mr Tanmoy Chakraborty

    Global Senior Director
    Hexagon AB

  • Prof Madhu Viswanathan

    Associate Professor
    ISB

  • Mr Varma Konala

    CEO
    Stealth Startup

  • Mr Kishore Kumar Balakrishna

    Director, Software Engineering
    Opentext

  • Mr Mahesh Iyer

    Head, Global Biometrics & Data Science
    Bristol Myers Squibb

  • Mr Praveen Nandi

    Director, Software Engineering
    Quest Diagnostics HTAS India pvt. ltd.

  • Ms Preetha Kumar

    Executive Director, Advanced Data Analytics and Data Sciences
    Providence

  • Mr Murthy Ammanamanchi

    Senior Director
    Facset Systems India Pvt Ltd.

  • Ms Megha Yethadka

    Senior Director and Head of Uber AI Solutions
    Uber

Round-2

  • Arjun Shashidhar

    Leader - AI Delivery and AI Offerings Genpact

  • Dr. K V Kadambari

    Associate Professor NIT Warangal

  • Vinod P K

    Associate Professor IIIT Hyderabad

  • Guruprasad Misra

    Associate Director Zeomega

  • Ravi Kumar N

    Director - Product Analytics & Business Intelligence Zeomega

  • Sayantee Jana

    Assistant Professor IIT Hyderabad

  • Suma Nanjundappa

    Director of Software Engineering Medtronic

  • Abhishek Pan

    Analytics Solutions Architect AWS India

  • Giridhar Ramachandran

    Assistant Professor XLRI Jamshedpur

  • Ramesh Emandi

    CTO and Co-Founder Quantana

  • Vishnu Kumar Reddy

    AI Consultant E2E Networks Ltd

  • Guruprasad Sarvothaman

    Head of Product, Privacy & Responsible AI Hewlett Packard Enterprise

  • Netali Agrawal

    AVP Commonwealth Bank of Australia

  • Raja Mohan

    CEO and Co-Founder Prodloop Technologies Pvt Ltd

  • Sujo Joseph

    Director of IT Engineering & AI Lenovo

  • Digvijay Pawar

    Associate Professor IIT Hyderabad

  • Koel Bhattacharya

    AI Strategy Leader Lenovo

  • Ravindra Naik

    Vice President - Engineering Kore AI

  • Vikram Kumar

    Adviser GIZ

  • Chong En Lim

    Program Manager, Technical NVIDIA

  • Rajesh Pal

    Product Manager - AI & IoT Daikin Airconditioning India Pvt. Ltd.

  • Tejaswini Pedapati

    Senior Research Software Engineer IBM Research

  • Tosin Adesuyi

    Developer Advocate Engineer NVIDIA

Round-1

  • Amit Kumar Shrivastava

    Global Fujitsu Distinguished Engineer  Fujitsu

  • Amit Parameshwar

    Asia Pacific Lead - AI Practice Lenovo

  • Arjun Suresh

    Senior Architect – GenAI LLM/ML Zeomega

  • Basil George

    Senior Manager, Development, Genesys Conversational AI Genesys

  • Binu Midhun

    IBM Build - AI Technical Leader  IBM

  • Dr Sudha Pelluri

    Director@Centre of Excellence in AI& ML, Osmania University. University College of Engineering, Osmania University

  • Dr Venu Jarugumalli

    General Manger ZF

  • Dr. Santosh Karthikeyan

    Global Technical Director AstraZeneca

  • Hemachandran K

    Vice Dean & Director of AI Research Centre Woxsen University

  • Juby Jose 

    Managing Partner Turing Company

  • Kartik Talamadupula

    Head of AI Wand AI

  • Kaushiki Choubey

    Engineering Lead Lloyds Technology Centre

  • Khushboo Sinha

    Lead Product Designer Salesforce

  • Kinjal Saxena

    Chief Technology Officer  AIG Hospitals

  • Mahati Chittem

    Professor IITH

  • Mathew Joseph

    Director & Head CIMB bank AI Labs

  • Narasimha Murthy

    Co-Founder - Product Management Group Zeomega

  • Nimish Gupta 

    Director Data and Analytics BCG

  • Nitish Jha

    Head of Engineering Atlassian

  • Philipp Olbrich

    Advisor GIZ

  • Ram Sundaram

    Director, Conversational AI Group Genesys Cloud Services India Private Limited

  • Sowmya Vajjala

    Senior Researcher National Research Council, Canada

  • Sugandha Srikanteswaran

    MD , Digital Solutions India  S&P’s Global 

  • Suniti Nanda

    Founder Director at MaxxUP MaxxUP

  • Surya Kumar

    Professor, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering IIT H

  • Abhishek Roy

    Associate Director PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt. Ltd.

  • Dhruv Gupta

    Senior Director Engineering and GM India Meltwater

  • Jeff Rush

    Zeomega

  • Sudhakar Ranganadham

    Director, Product Manager- Analytics and Business Intelligence Zeomega

  • Suryanarayana Pemmaraju

    Senior Director  Presidio

  • Swathi Konakanchi

    Senior Director  Ascendion engineering pvt ltd

  • Tarun Kumar 

    Program Manager Eclerx

  • Yash Gupta

    Developer Advocate Nvidia

  • Balasubramanian Ganapathy

    Senior Solutions Architect Amazon

  • Balamurugan S P

    Co-founder  Guvi

  • A J Balasubramanian

    Director - Head of Indian Operations Aigilx Health Technologies Private Ltd 

  • R.Vasantharajan

    CTO Grids and Guides

  • Titas Nath

    Head Of Cybersecurity AIG Hospitals

  • Gaurav Mojasia

    AIG Hospitals General Manager

  • Tushar Ranjan Purohit

    AIG Hoapitals Deputy General Manager

  • Keerthi Bharath

    Principal MLE Informatica

  • Yarish Kumar Janaki Raman

    Principal Software Engineer Lulu Lemon

  • Giri Gorjala

    GBS India COO Bofa

Timelines

  1. 30AprilApplication & Approach Note Deadline
  2. 15MayAnnouncement of shortlisted startups
  3. 16MayAccess of Datasets upon signing the NDA
  4. 07JuneSubmission of Proof of Concept (PoC)
  5. 22June*Announcement of startups selected for Finale
  6. 30June*POC Presentation at the Grand Finale
  7. 30June*Winner Announcement

*These are Tentative dates.