Hyderabad: Hyderabad is fast gaining recognition as a global legal tech hub, driven by a surge in startups and AI adoption in the legal domain, IT and Industries Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu said on Saturday.
Speaking at the valedictory session of ‘The Grand Masters 2025 – Hyderabad edition’ hosted by Lex Witness at Novotel HICC, the Minister said over 120 legal tech startups in the city are working on solutions spanning e-discovery, dispute analytics, and virtual intellectual property platforms.
Citing the NASSCOM Legal Tech Report 2025, Sridhar Babu noted that 63% of large Indian enterprises are now using AI and automation in their legal departments. He said the legal ecosystem has seen sweeping transformation, with tools like AI-based research, e-filing, virtual courts, and case tracking now deeply integrated.
Reflecting on his own legal background, the Minister described lawyers as “sculptors of equality” and “custodians of constitutional rights,” adding that modern practitioners are now also business enablers and tech-aligned advisors.
He highlighted the urgent need for reform in judicial delivery, pointing to over 5.1 crore pending cases nationwide as of December 2024, including more than 10 lakh in Telangana. “Justice delayed is justice denied. This backlog calls for immediate action,” he said.
Calling on young lawyers to treat legal practice as a social obligation, not just a profession, Sridhar Babu said integrity and problem-solving are vital in a fast-evolving landscape. “Your client is not only the one who pays your fee it is the entire system that depends on your conduct,” he said.
He urged young professionals to uphold the Preamble’s promise of social, economic, and political justice.
The session also featured Lex Witness representatives Abhijit and Srinivas, along with legal department heads from corporate and tech sectors.