Hyderabad: Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Chief Minister’s Office, Special Projects (SPEED), Investment & Industry Cell, Government of Telangana, said that technology had the potential to double farmers’ income and those growing rice, maize and cotton could significantly enhance their income. Telangana, he said, had already identified 80-plus technologies, which could work at different stages of these crops. These technologies were being tried out on the farms of agricultural universities, he added.
Ranjan was in a conversation with Dr. Subho Ray, President, Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on the topic, ‘Strategic Innovation Corridors: Building High-Impact Digital and Industrial Growth Pathways for Rural India.’
He praised the various innovation programmes, particularly those run by the state’s agricultural universities. “There are more than two dozen innovation centres in Hyderabad, which promote AgriTech. This is the state which has shown how government can support startups. We have invested hundreds of crores of money in building institutions and bringing in talent to run these institutions. NABARD has been a very big supporter of our startup activities,” said Ranjan.
He also spoke about his special project, ‘Telangana Rising Vision 2047’, a 120-pager document that will be released on December 9, on the two-year completion of the current state government. The document identifies various initiatives for the farmers, women and youth.
When asked by Dr. Ray about his plans to attract private investment, Shri Ranjan said that the ‘Telangana Rising Vision 2047’ document would help in attracting capital.
The three-city Earth Summit 2025–26 is jointly organised by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). The two-day summit in Hyderabad, which concluded on November 21, 2025, brought together policymakers, startups, financial institutions, digital platforms, climate-tech innovators, and energy enterprises, from South, East, and North-east India to reimagine the future of rural India. The next two editions are set to be held in Gandhinagar and Delhi.
The Summit is supported by key national institutions, including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, and the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. Their involvement reflects a coordinated effort to strengthen rural development through technology and policy alignment.
Centered around the theme ‘Empowering Rural Innovation for Global Change’, the Hyderabad edition was held at HITEX Exhibition Centre on November 20-21, 2025. It hosted 2,000+ attendees, 80+ speakers and panelists, 50+ exhibitors, 25+ sessions, participation from 15 States and UTs, and 1 flagship hackathon.
Day 2 of the Earth Summit featured keynotes, fireside chat, panel discussions and impact sessions, with eminent personalities such as D Sridhar Babu, Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Industries & Commerce, and Legislative Affairs, Government of Telangana, Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Chief Minister’s Office, Special Projects (SPEED), Investment & Industry Cell, Government of Telangana), Sanjay Kumar (Special Chief Secretary, Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Government of Telangana), Dr. Ajay Kumar Sood, (Deputy Managing Director, NABARD), and Dr. Subho Ray, President (IAMAI).
