The Government of Odisha has taken a major step toward building a secure, inclusive and sovereign artificial intelligence ecosystem by holding high-level strategic discussions with Sarvam, a leading Indian AI company specialising in foundational models for Indian languages and public-sector use cases.
The meeting, chaired by the Chief Minister and attended by the Minister for Electronics & IT, Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Electronics & IT), Principal Secretary (Finance) and other senior officials, focused on establishing AI as a long-term public capability aligned with Odisha’s Vision 2036 and Vision 2047.
Central to the discussions was the creation of shared, state-governed AI infrastructure — including secure compute resources and data platforms — that keeps public data and AI models firmly within Odisha’s control. This approach aims to prevent fragmented investments across departments while ensuring scalability, security and sustainability.
The State emphasised the development of population-scale, voice-enabled AI applications in Odia, designed especially for rural, tribal and low-literacy communities. These applications will target key sectors such as education, agriculture, healthcare, e-governance and public safety, enabling citizens to access government schemes, entitlements and grievance redressal through simple conversational interfaces.
To accelerate rollout, both sides agreed to pursue a parallel one-year execution framework. Departments will prepare datasets and identify priority use cases while core AI infrastructure is commissioned, ensuring services can be deployed without delay.
Building long-term institutional capacity was another key focus. Plans include training government officials, supporting applied research and nurturing local technical talent so the State can independently govern, maintain and evolve its AI systems.
The partnership is expected to be formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the upcoming Black Swan Summit on 5–6 February 2026.
Speaking after the meeting, the Chief Minister said: “Odisha must follow a model where we do not merely adopt technology, but become a harbinger of technology for others to follow. Artificial intelligence gives us an opportunity to set new benchmarks in governance and public service delivery.”
The Chief Secretary added: “It is high time that Odisha emerges as a leader in technology, especially in artificial intelligence, through the true democratisation of AI — ensuring its benefits reach citizens across sectors and geographies.”
Pratyush Kumar, Co-founder of Sarvam, welcomed the alignment: “Odisha’s focus on sovereign AI and population-scale public impact reflects a clear understanding of how artificial intelligence can strengthen governance. We look forward to working closely with the State to translate this vision into durable public systems.”
With its emphasis on transparency, last-mile delivery and indigenous capability, Odisha’s AI roadmap positions the State as a potential national benchmark for responsible, citizen-centric artificial intelligence.
