Bhubaneswar: In partnership with Meta, the Government of Odisha today launched ‘Ama Sathi’, a unified WhatsApp chatbot that will make 120 citizen services accessible to more than 45 million people across the State.
Unveiled in the presence of Chief Secretary Odisha Manoj Ahuja, the initiative marks a major step towards building convenient, last-mile access to essential public services. Through this chatbot, citizens will be able to access critical Government Services like obtaining Birth and Income Certificates, applying for Driving and Fertilizer Licenses, and accessing incentives such as the National Family Benefits Scheme, all through a single WhatsApp number.
Available in both Odia and English, the chatbot is accessible via a single WhatsApp number 9437292000 and comes with voice capabilities. It is designed to be a one-stop digital assistant, offering citizens easy access to a wide range of essential public services. Through this chatbot, people can conveniently raise and track public grievances, access housing and urban development resources, and interact with general administration services. The chatbot also provides services related to education, agriculture, and horticulture, ensuring farmers and students alike can get timely information and support. Citizens in the State of Odisha can also connect with police services for assistance, check land records and revenue details.
Along with this, a dynamic Dashboard of the Odisha Right to Public Services Act’s Central Monitoring System (CMS) was also launched today by the Chief Secretary Odisha.
The launching programme took place at Lok Seva Bhavan in presence of Chief Secretary Ahuja, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary to Odisha Govt Anu Garg, Additional Chief Secretary GA&PG Department Surendra Kumar, Director General Gopabandhu Academy of Administration G. Mathivathanan, Additional Chief Secretary of Industries & I&PR Department Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary E & IT Department Vishal Dev, Principal Secretary H&UD and C&T Department Usha Padhee and Former Information Commissioner and Mentor CYSD Jagadananda and other senior officers of State Government, Odisha.
The Ama Sathi Unified WhatsApp BOT has been developed by the Centre for Modernizing Government Initiative (CMGI) in collaboration with Meta India.
The Unified WhatsApp Chatbot integrates over 120 Citizen Services into a single WhatsApp number, enabling citizens to access critical services like essential certificates including Residence and Income Certificates, Licenses viz. Driving License, Fertilizer License etc. and Incentive Schemes viz. Inter-caste marriage benefits, National Family Benefit Scheme, and more.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Secretary, Odisa Shri Ahuja, said “The Government of Odisha is committed to delivering seamless public services, ensuring that every citizen experiences convenience and efficiency at the last mile. This commitment is underscored by our investment in technology and training, aiming to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and enhance overall accessibility. Today, with the launch of Ama Sathi in partnership with Meta, Odisha takes a transformative step in making governance truly citizen-centric. For too long, accessing public services has been fragmented and cumbersome. This unified WhatsApp platform will simplify processes, remove barriers, and empower every citizen, from urban centers to the remotest corners of the state, to access essential services with ease and efficiency. Initiatives like this reflect Odisha’s vision of leveraging technology for transparent, accountable, and inclusive governance, ensuring that public service delivery is not just a function, but a seamless experience for all”.
Development Commissioner Anu Garg spoke about the Government’s commitment to ensuring timely public service delivery and bringing governance to the doorsteps of the common man, thus empowering the citizens. She further added that accountability in service delivery will be ensured through the ORTPSA Central Monitoring System (CMS) Dashboard and was confident that people would avail services with ease through the Unified WhatsApp BOT.
Additional Chief Secretary GA & PG Department Surendra Kumar highlighted the need for governance reforms to ensure hassle-free service delivery. He emphasized on prioritising simplification of processes and the positive role of technology in making services more accessible. He added, “By bringing these diverse services onto a single WhatsApp platform, the Odisha Government aims to enhance transparency, efficiency, and citizen convenience across the state. In the coming days, CMGI will undertake massive awareness campaigns to enhance citizen outreach. Information on ORTPSA as well as the Ama Sathi Whatsapp Chatbot will be disseminated through Bus Branding, Hoardings, TV & Radio and Information Boards throughout the State for creating awareness among citizens.”
Executive Director CMGI Vineet Bharadwaj said, “Ease of access to public services is still a challenge in Odisha. Currently, there are four modes of accessing any public service in Odisha – visiting the concerned office (offline mode), accessing the web portal of the concerned department/office, accessing the specific mobile app of that particular service, or through assisted service (by visiting a Common Service Center). Recognizing the need for a more user-friendly and accessible mode for public service delivery, we believe that WhatsApp will enable citizens to avail the desired services on one single platform through a single number, enabling swift and convenient access to services. We aim to deliver all public services through WhatsApp by March 2026, enabling citizens to access them through text and voice.”
Arun Srinivas, Managing Director and Country Head, India, Meta said, “We are proud to partner with the Government of Odisha to launch Ama Sathi, bringing the power of WhatsApp to make public services more accessible and convenient for millions of citizens. By enabling real-time interaction with government services, WhatsApp reduces friction, simplifies processes, and ensures that essential services are available to people anytime, directly within their WhatsApp chat. This initiative demonstrates how technology can drive citizen-centric governance and positively impact the daily lives of people across the State. We thank the Government of Odisha for their proactive initiative towards Citizen Centric Governance making it the second State in the country to partner with Meta for launching ‘Ama Sathi’, WhatsApp chatbot for citizen services.”
Ravi Garg, Director, Business Messaging, Meta in India, said “The ease and simplicity of WhatsApp make it a preferred choice for people to get things done from connecting with friends and family to booking tickets, paying bills and accessing public services. We are thrilled to partner with the Government of Odisha and bring the power and reach of WhatsApp to millions of people in the State, giving them easy access to citizen services at their fingertips.”
The Ama Sathi Whatsapp Chatbot has been developed in collaboration with Meta and presently provides access to more than 120 citizen services. The chatbot will expand to more than 500 services over the coming months, further simplifying citizen access to Government services across departments.
The event concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Addl. Secretary, GA & PG Department Debabrata Mallick. The launching programme was coordinated by Under Secretary to the Chief Secretary Ansuman Rath and Project Coordinator CMGI Pinaki Mohanty.
