Bhubaneswar: A curtain raiser to Regional AI Impact Conference, Odisha, was held in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, setting the stage for a convening that will position the state as one of frontrunners in adoption and deployment of artificial intelligence across governance and key public sectors.
The conference, being organised by the Electronics & IT Department, is scheduled to be held from December 18-20., and will serve as an official precursor to the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
According to an official release, the curtain raiser offered an early preview of Odisha’s AI vision, policy direction, and growing portfolio of real-world AI deployments.
Speaking on the occasion, Electronics & IT Minister Mukesh Mahaling said: “Odisha is taking a future-ready approach to technology-led growth. With the Odisha AI Policy 2025, alongside progressive policies for fintech, global capability centres, and advanced electronics, we are building a clear, responsible, and investor-friendly framework for population-scale AI adoption. Our focus is not just on infrastructure, but on creating a complete innovation ecosystem that is backed by strong governance, world-class digital capabilities, and long-term policy certainty. Our key focus is on building an ecosystem that enables enterprises to build, scale, and lead from Odisha.”
Principal Secretary Shri Vishal Vishal Dev added that the conference will demonstrate real progress, align stakeholders on a shared roadmap, and catalyze sustainable collaborations.
The release further stated the summit is expected to see signing of key MoUs, formalisation of partnerships that will support Odisha’s AI journey; showcase the state’s progress across priority areas; and build momentum for long-term AI initiatives by fostering alignment among government departments, industry, academia, and research institutions.
An IndiaAI working group meeting will also be jointly convened by MeitY and the state government on December 18, bringing together key stakeholders from central and state governments, academia, and industry to deliberate on operationalising the IndiaAI Mission, with a focus on data infrastructure, compute, skilling, and sectoral AI use cases.
“The Regional AI Impact Conference aims to showcase how the state has already begun implementing AI solutions across healthcare, education, agriculture, and governance, while also creating a national platform to shape conversations around AI in governance, research, data infrastructure, and inclusive growth. It will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and technology experts from across India and beyond to align on Odisha’s long-term AI priorities and partnerships.”
This regional event aligns closely with India’s national AI framework, guided by three Sutras—People (inclusive empowerment), Planet (sustainability), and Progress (equitable benefits)—and seven Chakras: Human Capital, Inclusion for Social Empowerment, Safe and Trusted AI, Resilience, Innovation & Efficiency, Science, Democratising AI Resources, and AI for Economic Development & Social Good, it added.
