Odisha: The Regional AI Impact Conference, Odisha, was inaugurated today at the State Convention Centre in Bhubaneswar, marking the beginning of a two-day high-level event focused on advancing AI for governance, development, and public good.
Held as an official precursor to the AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for February next year in New Delhi, this conference places Odisha alongside Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Telangana, and Kerala, playing a crucial role in building momentum ahead of the AI Impact Summit 2026.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was present as the chief guest, while Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Mukesh Mahaling was the guest of honor.
Sudeep Srivastava, 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, Principal Secretary of the Electronics and IT Department Vishal Dev, and Special Secretary Manas Panda also addressed the gathering.
Government is laying the foundation for an AI-powered Odisha, says Chief Minister
Addressing the event virtually, the Chief Minister emphasized Odisha’s commitment to AI-led governance and citizen-centric innovation. “We are not just adopting AI; we are laying the foundation for an AI-powered Odisha. This will strengthen governance, accelerate service delivery, and empower citizens. India is undergoing a historic technological transformation, and Odisha is proud to be an active and ambitious participant 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 a prosperous Odisha and a developed India. I am personally excited about our focus on local language LLMs, which will ensure that technology is no longer limited by language barriers,” Mahaling said.
The Minister also highlighted the conference’s alignment with the principles of the India AI Impact Summit – the three pillars of People, Planet, and Progress; And seven pillars, which translate these principles into concrete areas of multilateral action such as human capital, inclusion, trust, resilience, science, resources, and social well-being.
Shrivastava acknowledged Odisha’s emergence as a leading state in India’s AI sector and stated, “The state has recently formulated an AI policy that emphasizes responsible adoption, practical use cases, and ecosystem development. Its focus on leveraging AI for public service delivery and inclusive growth, along with support for startups, research institutions, and skill development initiatives, positions Odisha as a potential regional hub for AI-driven innovation.”
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja shared his optimism and vision regarding the use of AI to strengthen last-mile delivery of public goods and services. Ahuja said, “India has achieved significant success with digital public infrastructure, and a similar strategy should be adopted to further advance AI and unlock more use cases for the technology.”
Further reinforcing Odisha’s commitment to AI-driven growth and progress, Vishal Dev announced several key partnerships with organizations such as OpenAI (to support AI capacity building for students and government officials and pilot AI use cases); Wadhwani AI (which will focus on oral reading fluency and incentives for Subhadra beneficiaries); Sarvam AI (to address issues in scheme delivery); and TCS (to improve efficiency and productivity in the e-file management system).
