Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday said artificial intelligence (AI) laboratories are being set up in nine Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) of the state.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the Odisha Skill Competition 2025-26, CM Majhi said a total of 47 ITIs will be developed as centres of excellence.
Noting that the process of large-scale industrialisation has begun in Odisha, the Chief Minister called upon students to get themselves skilled and secure employment in the state.
“This is because our goal is to achieve excellence in all levels,” he said while conferring gold medals to 54 students, silver medals to 53 pupils and bronze medals to 50 students for their performance in the skill competition.
The gold medalists were given a cash prize of Rs 25,000, the silver medalists Rs 20,000 and the bronze medalists Rs 15,000.
“Skills are essential for the long-term development and economic progress of the state. The person who is more skilled is more confident. The state needs skilled youths to realise its vision of a prosperous Odisha by 2036 and a developed India by 2047. If the future of the youth is bright, the future of Odisha will also be bright,” CM Majhi said.
He said the three main pillars of the state’s industrialisation are infrastructure, a conducive environment, and skilled workers.
He said that in the last 18 months, projects worth Rs 6.15 lakh crore have been approved, and those have the potential to create 2.64 lakh jobs.
PTI