Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday asserted that Odisha is not merely adopting artificial intelligence but is laying the foundation for an AI-powered state that will transform governance, accelerate service delivery and empower citizens.
“We are not merely adopting AI, we are building the foundation of an AI-powered Odisha. This will strengthen governance, speed of service delivery and empower citizens. India is undergoing a historic technological transformation and Odisha is proud to be an active and ambitious partner in this national movement,” the Chief Minister said while inaugurating the Regional AI Impact Conference, Odisha at the State Convention Centre here.
The two-day high-level conference is being held as the official precursor to the AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled in New Delhi in February next year. With this initiative, Odisha joins states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Telangana and Kerala in building national momentum towards responsible and impactful AI adoption.
The inaugural session was attended by Dr Mukesh Mahaling, Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Parliamentary Affairs and Electronics & IT, Odisha; Sudeep Shrivastav, Joint Secretary, MeitY, Government of India; Dr Ahmed Hefnawy, AI Governance Expert, Ministry of Communications and IT, Egypt; and Debjani Ghosh, Chief Architect, NITI Frontier Tech Hub. Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Principal Secretary Electronics & IT Vishal Dev, and Special Secretary Electronics & IT Manas Panda also addressed the gathering.
Speaking on the vision behind the Conference, Dr Mukesh Mahaling said the initiative aligns with the goals of Samruddha Odisha and Viksit Bharat, with a special focus on local language large language models (LLMs) to ensure technology is not constrained by language barriers. He also highlighted the alignment of the Conference with the India AI Impact Summit’s principles of People, Planet and Progress, and its seven “Chakras” covering inclusion, trust, resilience, human capital, science, resources and social good.
Sudeep Shrivastav acknowledged Odisha’s growing prominence in India’s AI landscape, noting that the State’s recently notified AI Policy places strong emphasis on responsible adoption, applied use cases and ecosystem development. He said Odisha’s focus on public service delivery, inclusive growth, startups, research institutions and skilling initiatives positions it as a potential regional hub for AI-led innovation.
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja underscored the need to leverage AI for strengthening last-mile delivery of public goods, drawing parallels with India’s success in building digital public infrastructure.
Reinforcing Odisha’s commitment to AI-driven growth, Vishal Dev announced several key partnerships, including collaborations with OpenAI for AI capacity building and pilot use cases, Wadhwani AI for oral reading fluency and behavioural nudges for Subhadra beneficiaries, Sarvam AI for issue resolution in scheme delivery, and TCS to enhance efficiency in the e-File management system. He also unveiled ‘SushasanSah’AI’Yak’, an AI-powered chatbot aimed at improving productivity and efficiency among government officials.
Calling upon the Global South to lead contextualised innovation, Dr Ahmed Hefnawy said India has demonstrated the power of technology for public good and stressed the need for global knowledge-sharing corridors. Echoing similar views, leaders from Uttar Pradesh and NITI Aayog highlighted the urgency of proactive AI adoption while keeping humans at the centre of technological transformation.
A major highlight of the inaugural day was the unveiling of the Odisha Vision 2036 Immersive AI Zone, a 360-degree experience showcasing the State’s AI-enabled future across healthcare, education, disaster management, governance and citizen services.
The first day also featured multiple breakout sessions on AI transformation roadmaps for Indian states, AI research and innovation, and AI for education and skilling.
The Conference is anchored around three core objectives: positioning Odisha as a frontrunner in AI for impact, building ecosystem engagement to catalyse implementation, and showcasing the State’s growing AI research and innovation capabilities.
Odisha is the first Indian state to notify a Cabinet-approved AI Policy and has since operationalised over 15 AI solutions across eight departments, established an AI Centre of Excellence with NASSCOM, entered into strategic industry partnerships, and initiated AI-readiness frameworks for government datasets.
The Regional AI Impact Conference, Odisha will continue on December 20, with further thematic sessions and collaborative engagements aimed at advancing AI for governance and public good.
