Bhubaneswar: The State Electronics and Information Technology (E&IT) Department in collaboration with Wadhwani Foundation organised a workshop on “AI and Emerging Technologies for Government Digital Transformation” for officials at Lok Seva Bhavan here on Wednesday. This workshop was the first in a series which will be organised to impart AI training to officials. The initiative is part of the Odisha government’s broader strategy to build institutional readiness and enable government departments to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven approaches for enhancing public service delivery and governance outcomes.
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja said, “AI has the potential to radically transform governance and simplify how citizens interact with the State. What is complex today can become seamless tomorrow, with the use of AI. It is imperative for our officers to understand emerging technologies and AI. This is an opportunity for Odisha to lead nationally in building responsible, AI-driven public systems that will deliver better, faster and transparent services.” E&IT Department Principal Secretary Vishal Dev said, “We are taking decisive steps to position Odisha as a national leader in AI adoption. The Odisha AI Policy will be notified shortly, and the Odisha AI Mission will be launched to drive coordinated efforts across sectors. We have signed MoUs with NASSCOM and Wadhwani Foundation, and are establishing an AI Centre of Excellence in Bhubaneswar.
We are also collaborating closely with the IndiaAI Mission and plan to pilot various AI solutions across departments. These initiatives reflect our commitment to building a robust, inclusive and forward-looking AI ecosystem that strengthens governance and fuels innovation.” Wadhwani Foundation CEO Prakash Kumar said, “It is encouraging to see Odisha taking strong steps toward AI-driven governance. The Wadhwani Foundation works across key domains such as entrepreneurship, skilling, government digital transformation, innovation and research. We will work closely with the government of Odisha to identify meaningful problem statements and facilitate development of feasible solutions.”
Online Source: The Hans India
