Odisha govt committed to AI-led governance, says CM Majhi

Bhubaneswar: The Regional AI Impact Conference, Odisha was inaugurated today at the State Convention Centre, Bhubaneswar, marking the commencement of a high-level two-day event focused on advancing AI for governance, development, and public good.

Conceived as the official precursor to the AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled to be held in New Delhi in February next year, the conference positions Odisha alongside Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Telangana, and Kerala, playing a key role in building the momentum ahead of the AI Impact Summit 2026.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi graced the occasion as the chief guest while Electronics & Information Technology Minister Mukesh Mahaling was the guest of honour.

Sudeep Shrivastav, Joint Secretary, MeitY; Dr. Ahmed Hefnawy, AI Governance Expert, Ministry of Communications and IT (MCIT), Egypt, and Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Chief Architect, NITI Frontier Tech Hub; Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Electronics & IT Department Principal Secretary Vishal Dev, and Special Secretary Manas Panda also addressed the gathering.

Govt building foundation of AI-powered Odisha, said the Chief Minister

Addressing the event virtually, the Chief Minister emphasized Odisha’s commitment to AI-led governance and citizen-centric innovation. “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 technical transformation and Odisha is proud to be an active and ambitious partner in this national movement,” he said.

Mahaling shared the vision for the Regional AI Impact Conference, Odisha. “Our vision for this summit is firmly rooted in the goals of Samruddha Odisha and Viksit Bharat. I am personally excited about our focus on local language LLMs, which will ensure that technology is no longer limited by a language barrier,” stated Mahaling.

The minister also threw light on the conference’s alignment with the India AI Impact Summit’s principles – the three Sutras, People, Planet and Progress; and the seven Chakras, that translate these principles into concrete areas of multilateral action spanning human capital, inclusion, trust, resilience, science, resources, and social good

Shrivastav acknowledged Odisha’s emergence as a prominent state in India's Al landscape and said, “The state has recently articulated an Al policy that places strong emphasis on responsible adoption, applied use cases, and ecosystem development. Its focus on leveraging Al for public service delivery and inclusive growth, along with support for startups, research institutions, and skilling initiatives, positions Odisha as a potential regional hub for Al-led innovation.”

Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja shared his optimism and vision for the use of AI to strengthen last-mile delivery of public goods and services. “India has achieved significant success with digital public infrastructure, and a similar strategy must be adopted to advance AI and unlock greater use cases for the technology,” Ahuja said. 

Further reinforcing Odisha’s commitment to developing AI-powered growth and development, Vishal Dev announced several key partnerships with organisations like OpenAI (to support AI capacity building for students and government officials and support pilot AI use cases); Wadhwani AI (that will focus on oral reading fluency and nudges to Subhadra beneficiaries); Sarvam AI (for issue resolution in scheme delivery); and TCS (improve efficiency and productivity in e-File management system).

He also shared a glimpse of Sushasan Sah’AI’Yak, an AI-powered chatbot designed to help government officials improve productivity and efficiency.

A key highlight of the inaugural day was the unveiling of the Odisha Vision 2036 Immersive AI Zone; a 360-degree experience that offers visitors a compelling glimpse into an AI-enabled future, showcasing Odisha’s vision for transformation across healthcare, education, disaster management, governance, and citizen services—demonstrating how emerging technologies can improve lives at scale.

Experts deliberated on AI roadmap for India

The first day of the Conference included multiple breakout sessions, where experts deliberated on themes such as Transformation Roadmaps for AI in Indian States, Impact of AI Research and Innovation, and Unlocking the Future of AI through Education.

The Regional AI Impact Conference, Odisha is anchored around three core objectives: positioning Odisha as a frontrunner state in leveraging AI for impact, building ecosystem engagement to catalyse implementation of AI use cases, and showcasing the state’s growing potential in AI research and innovation.

Odisha is the first Indian state to notify a Cabinet-approved AI Policy and has since made steady progress in operationalising it. The state has established an AI Centre of Excellence in partnership with NASSCOM, implemented over 15 AI solutions across eight government departments, entered into strategic partnerships with industry leaders to scale AI deployment, and initiated work to embed AI-readiness frameworks within government datasets.

The Conference features a distinguished lineup of national and international leaders, policymakers, industry practitioners, researchers, academics, and representatives from civil society and policy think tanks.

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.