Odisha To Host Regional AI Impact Conference On Dec 19

(MENAFN- IANS) Bhubaneswar, Dec 17 (IANS) The Odisha government will host the Regional AI Impact Conference, scheduled to be held from December 19 to 20, setting the tone for a major national-level dialogue on artificial intelligence in governance and public service delivery.

The state Electronics & IT Department on Wednesday held the curtain raiser for the conference, providing an early glimpse into Odisha's AI vision, policy direction, and its growing portfolio of real-world AI deployments.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Electronics & IT Mukesh Mahaling stated that the state is adopting a future-ready approach to technology-led growth.

He noted that alongside the Odisha AI Policy 2025, progressive policies in FinTech, Global Capability Centres, and advanced electronics are creating a responsible, investor-friendly framework for large-scale AI adoption.

He emphasised that Odisha's focus is on building a complete innovation ecosystem backed by strong governance, advanced digital capabilities, and long-term policy certainty.

He further added that ahead of the India Impact AI Summit, scheduled to be held in February, regional Impact AI Summits will be organised in eight states, including Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha. Mahaling said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned making Odisha a hub for Artificial Intelligence in India.

Giving priority to Odia identity, the state government, under the leadership of the Chief Minister, will implement a language donation programme in Artificial Intelligence, aimed at making Odia content easily accessible to the masses through simplified digital formats.

He said the Regional AI Impact Conference has two key objectives. First, it is aligned with the India AI Impact Summit, scheduled to be held in February 2026, under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

Second, the conference is based on a central theme built around sustainability and inclusive growth, guided by the“Three Ps - Planet, People and Progress”, along with sector-focused discussions.

Highlighting Odisha's priorities, Mahaling said the state has identified key government departments for AI-driven interventions, including Health, Education, Disaster Management, Culture, Parliamentary Affairs, and Women & Child Welfare.

AI tools will be used to improve programme implementation, monitoring, and policy guidance across these sectors.

The Minister also announced a major initiative to promote the Odia language through AI and digital platforms. A new programme titled“Bhasha Dham”, to be launched by the Chief Minister, will focus on making Odia language content widely available on the internet using AI tools.

Under the programme, contributions will be invited from Odia scholars, professors, artists, and writers to create and digitise high-quality Odia content.

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