Hyderabad is preparing to roll out an Artificial Intelligence-based property registration system, aiming to fast-track the process, curb irregularities, and usher in greater transparency in the state’s land registration ecosystem. The technology-led initiative, being introduced in mid-April as part of a pilot programme, marks a significant step forward in Telangana’s commitment to digitisation and citizen-centric governance. Initially set to be launched at the sub-registrar offices of Champapet and Saroornagar, the model will be scaled across the city and state following successful trials.
The pilot project, once approved by the Chief Minister, will deploy AI to eliminate discretion in allocation and approval processes at the sub-registrar level. With the new system, property registrations—currently taking up to an hour—are expected to be completed within 10 to 15 minutes. The most impactful change is that buyers and sellers will now be automatically allotted a sub-registrar office through a randomised process after booking online, making it difficult for malpractices or favouritism to influence the proceedings.
This system is expected to diminish the longstanding issue of arbitrary rejections, which has led to the rise of middlemen and illegal transactions. The AI interface will not only obscure the identities of buyers and sellers from ground staff but will also mandate official justifications for any rejections. These justifications will be cross-checked by the AI in real-time, and any anomalies will trigger alerts at the department’s headquarters. By holding officials accountable, the system acts as a digital watchdog, tightening administrative oversight and restoring public confidence.
Adding a layer of environmental and civic foresight, the system will automatically block attempts to register properties located in ecologically sensitive areas such as lake buffer zones, nalas, tanks, and Full Tank Levels (FTLs). Survey numbers flagged for legal or environmental concerns will be blacklisted for transactions, helping the city prevent unauthorised development in critical ecological belts. In the larger vision for a sustainable and equitable city, this technological enforcement adds a layer of protection to the urban commons and public water bodies, long vulnerable to encroachment.
The online slot-booking facility, which was earlier available only for agricultural lands under the Dharani portal, will now extend to non-agricultural properties. Citizens can select appointment times suited to their schedules, thereby reducing congestion and avoiding long queues outside registration offices. AI will also track daily footfall across centres and direct traffic toward less crowded offices, thereby ensuring a more balanced load and user-friendly experience.
This AI-backed registration reform could set a national precedent, especially for states grappling with corruption and inefficiencies in the land records and registration sector. With Telangana already positioned as a technology-forward state, this move is seen as a logical next step in its efforts to create inclusive, equitable, and transparent urban governance systems. If implemented successfully, it could lead to increased citizen trust, better real estate transaction tracking, and more responsive governance—ushering in an era where administrative processes are not only efficient but also fair and citizen-first.
