T-Works, BITS Pilani Hyderabad’s CRENS join hands to promote national security tech innovation 

Telangana Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu at a programme held in Hyderabad on Sunday (December 8, 2024).
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement

Hardware prototyping initiative of Telangana government T-Works and BITS Pilani Hyderabad’s Centre for Research Excellence in National Security (CRENS) will be collaborating to promote innovation and skill development in national security technologies.

Their partnership will scale up projects from prototypes to market-ready solutions while working to create an ecosystem for mentoring startups, establishing advisory boards and facilitating technology transfer to industries, Industries and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu said, announcing a clutch of initiatives to mark the first anniversary of the Congress government in the State.

Entrepreneurship to be fostered

Announcing that T-Works and BITS Pilani CRENS are formalising a collaboration, he said under their partnership, they have decided to foster entrepreneurship through boot camps, certification courses, and workshops. By leveraging shared resources and infrastructure, their collaboration will unite academia, industry and national security organizations, addressing critical technology challenges and paving the way for a secure and prosperous nation, the Minister’s office said on his speech at a programme here on Sunday (December 8, 2024).

BITS Pilani Hyderabad has established CRENS to play a pivotal role in supporting India’s journey towards self-reliance in the national security domain. It will collaborate with DRDO, ISRO, DAE, tri-services, paramilitary forces, police, defence PSUs and industries.

HDFC Bank to harness AdeX data for loans

In another announcement, the Minster said HDFC Bank will be collaborating with Telangana government’s Agriculture Data Exchange (AdeX) in the area of smart agri-credit. The private bank will provide loans up to ₹1 lakh to small and marginal farmers using authentic datasets available on the ADeX platform.

The launch of the ADeX-HDFC Smart Agri-Credit app will ensure quick, easy and timely credit access for the farmers across the State. Agriculture Data Exchange is a digital public infrastructure to serve as a one-stop gateway for innovators, startups and stakeholders to access quality agricultural data and create transformative solutions for the agricultural ecosystem.

Scaling up AI tool against substance abuse

Mr. Sridhar Babu said that another initiative is the scaling up of an innovative AI-based tool Mitra that the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB), the IT Department and United We Care, a startup, have developed as a measure to prevent substance abuse among youth. The WhatsApp-based chat application enables behavioural assessment of students, providing teachers and parents with a powerful mechanism to detect and prevent substance abuse early.

Following a successful pilot, it has been decided to scale up the app to reach 1,000 schools in and around Hyderabad. To further support this effort, a Trainer of Trainers programme has been also designed. Comprehensive curriculum modules on behaviour analysis, developed jointly by TGANB, the Department and the startup will ensure teachers and parents are well-equipped to utilise the tool effectively.

EOM