Bhubaneswar: “We are not merely adopting AI, we are laying the foundation of an AI-powered Odisha,” Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said while addressing the inaugural occasion of Regional AI Impact Conference here Friday.
Setting the tone for the conference through a virtual address, the CM emphasised Odisha’s commitment to AI-led governance and citizen-centric innovation. He said, “We are not merely adopting AI, we are laying 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 added.
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Sharing the vision for the conference, Electronics & Information Technology (E&IT) Minister said, “Our vision for this summit is firmly rooted in the goals of Samruddha Odisha and Viksit Bharat.
I’m personally excited about our focus on local language LLMs, which will ensure that technology is no longer limited by a language barrier.”
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Joint Secretary Sudeep Shrivastav acknowledged Odisha’s emergence as a prominent state in India’s Al landscape. He 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.
He said, “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.”
IT department Principal Secretary Vishal Dev announced several key partnerships with organisations like OpenAI, Wadhwani AI, Sarvam AI and TCS.
“The partnership with OpenAI will support AI capacity building for students and government officials and support pilot AI use cases.
Wadhwani AI will help focus on oral reading fluency and nudges to Subhadra beneficiaries, while the partnership with Sarvam AI will help issue resolution in scheme delivery.
The engagement with TCS will help improve efficiency and productivity in e-File management system,” Dev said.
A key highlight of the inaugural day was the unveiling of 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.
The Day I 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’.
