Bhubaneswar: In a significant step towards fostering an Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem in the state, the Government of Odisha held a brainstorming workshop on ‘Artificial Intelligence Strategy for Odisha’ at the Convention Centre of Lok Seva Bhavan on Saturday.
Organized by the Electronics and IT department, the workshop saw participation from senior officials, academia, industry leaders, and international organizations, all collaborating to shape Odisha’s future AI strategy.
According to an official press release, this workshop is part of a broader set of initiatives by the Odisha government aimed at catalyzing the state’s AI ecosystem. The insights and discussions from the event are expected to play a pivotal role in the development of Odisha’s AI strategy, aligning it with India’s national AI mission.
The event was attended by senior officials, including Development Commissioner-cum-ACS Anu Garg, Principal Secretary Electronics and IT Vishal Dev, and senior representatives from various government departments.
Speaking at the event, Anu Garg highlighted Odisha’s rapid growth across sectors and emphasized the need for equitable AI adoption that benefits marginalized communities.
Vishal Dev, Principal Secretary of the Electronics and IT Department, announced that Odisha has already started the process of developing its AI strategy and policy. He outlined the state’s ambition to contribute to India’s AI mission, including the development of compute capacity, indigenous AI models, and fostering AI start-ups.
The workshop featured presentations by representatives from leading organizations, including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, University of California-Berkeley, and the Wadhwani Foundation. Topics covered included AI use cases in healthcare, agriculture, education, disaster management, and the importance of building a local compute capacity.
A panel discussion followed, featuring senior academics from IIT Bhubaneswar, IIIT Bhubaneswar, and other prominent institutions, as well as industry leaders from Accenture, TCS, IBM, and NASSCOM. The discussions focused on AI research initiatives in Odisha, industry-academia collaboration, and the need for an actionable, inclusive AI strategy.
The workshop aligns Odisha’s efforts with the national IndiaAI Mission, which has earmarked over INR 10,000 crores for AI research and development. With the successful completion of this event, Odisha is on track to develop an AI strategy that drives economic growth and empowers its citizens.
This workshop marks an important milestone in Odisha’s journey to becoming a leader in AI innovation and adoption.
