Gen Z will drive the next wave of AI: IT Minister Sridhar Babu

metro india news I hyderabad

Telangana IT Minister D Sridhar Babu on Friday said Gen Z will drive the next wave of AI and green innovation. Speaking after inaugurating the 'Green Skills and Applied AI Centre of Excellence (CoE) here, he said that as young people code, build businesses and explore the possibilities of AI, he urged them to use their skills not just to create successful enterprises, but to solve real-world challenges, an official release said.

"A few decades ago, access to drinking water was rarely a daily concern for many of us. Today, buying drinking water has become part of everyday life. What guarantee can we offer future generations that they will have access to the same quality and quantity of natural resources? You must build those solutions now," he said.

"For Telangana, sustainability must be integral to our growth story, and I urge industry and young innovators to make it part of theirs too, using technology to build a future that is both economically prosperous and environmentally responsible," the release quoted the minister as saying.

The launch of Telangana’s Green Skills and Applied AI Centre of Excellence saw 100 job offers announced through 1M1B Jobs Express, strengthening the state’s focus on industry-linked skilling and employment in the green economy.

The programme aims to strengthen the link between industry requirements, practical learning and employment opportunities, enabling young people to translate their skills into meaningful careers.

Telangana's Ministry of Information Technology (IT), Industries and Commerce, in partnership with Microsoft, 1M1B and MeitY Startup Hub, is driving the initiative to prepare graduates for emerging opportunities at the intersection of AI, sustainability and industry, with a dedicated track focused on Green Pharma, it said.

The Centre will equip technology and science graduates with industry-relevant skills and connect them with emerging opportunities, it said, adding the Centre will offer hands-on learning across Applied AI, Green Pharma, Solar Energy, Electric Vehicles and Wind Energy.

Microsoft India Development Centre Managing Director and President Rajiv Kumar said AI and the climate transition are reshaping every industry at once, and young people should have the opportunity to shape that change, not just adapt to it.

The Green Skills and Applied AI Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad will give them practical AI and green skills, real sustainability challenges to solve, including in Green Pharma, and clear pathways into internships, jobs and new opportunities, he said.

1M1B Foundation Founder and Chief Mentor Manav Subodh said the future of work will increasingly be shaped by the convergence of AI, sustainability and industry.

"Our focus is on preparing young people not just to understand these technologies, but to apply them in real-world settings and build careers in emerging sectors. Our larger ambition is to build models that can scale nationally and prepare young people for the jobs and industries of the future,” Subodh said.

Microsoft will support the Centre through AI technologies, digital learning resources, employee mentorship, innovation challenges and capacity-building under its CSR programme. 1M1B will lead implementation and management. 1M1B (One Million for One Billion) is a United Nations–accredited non-profit founded by Manav Subodh, the release said.