Consultative Workshop of AI’s Potential in Governance Organised by Odisha Govt and Wadhwani Foundation
Bhubaneswar, 16th April 2025: The Electronics and Information Technology (E&IT) Department, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Wadhwani Foundation, today organized a day-long workshop on “AI and Emerging Technologies for Government Digital Transformation” for Government Officials at the Odisha State Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. Chief Secretary Odisha Manoj Ahuja graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. This workshop was the first in a series of workshops which will be organized to impart AI Training to officials of the Govt. of Odisha.
This initiative is part of the Government of Odisha’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. The workshop was attended by Principal Secretary E&IT Department Vishal Dev, Special Secretary E&IT Department Manas Panda, CEO Wadhwani Centre for Government Digital Transformation Prakash Kumar, Senior Officials from Departments, Representatives from Wadhwani Foundation, and other key stakeholders from Odisha’s digital governance ecosystem.
Speaking on the occasion, 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 deliver better, faster, and more transparent services.”
Highlighting the strategic initiatives undertaken by the Government to position Odisha as a leader in AI adoption, Principal Secretary E&IT Department 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 the 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.”
CEO Wadhwani Foundation 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, and innovation and research. We will work closely with the Government of Odisha to identify meaningful problem statements and facilitate development of feasible solutions.”
The workshop was designed in a unique manner to equip officers with hands-on exposure to emerging AI applications in Governance. Sessions included a deep dive into Generative AI tools; their ability to facilitate complex analysis and content generation; and implementation models with a focus on privacy, security, data ethics, and bias mitigation. Officials explored real-world projects such as a GenAI assistant for teachers, a citizen experience and engagement platform, an AI application for at-home screening and monitoring of pregnant women, among others.
Other key segments of the workshop focused on data-driven decision-making for policy planning and real-time monitoring using predictive analytics. Discussions also happened on differences between digitalisation and digital transformation, structured frameworks to move from ideas to Proof of Concepts (PoCs), piloting of solutions, and development of scalable projects. To consolidate and refine their workshop learnings, participants will identify governance challenges and collaborate with Wadhwani Foundation to analyse their technical feasibility and receive expert feedback.
Government of Odisha is closely working with the IndiaAI Mission, and is actively focusing on its key pillars related to compute infrastructure, skilling and capacity building, financing and investment enablement, innovation, ethical and regulatory frameworks, application development, and curation of datasets. The state is also pursuing initiatives for linguistic AI, including promoting AI for Odia language and cultural preservation, in collaboration with institutions such as IIT Bhubaneswar, BHASHINI, and C-DAC.
Through workshops like this, the Government aims to build awareness and capability within departments, initiate AI pilots, and ultimately enable the institutionalization of AI-led governance across sectors. These efforts are expected to contribute significantly to Odisha’s goal of becoming a national hub for AI innovation and ensuring responsible technology deployment.
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