THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, FEBRUARY 11, 2026

 “Odisha is committed to building cities that are not only smarter, but also more humane, responsive and inclusive. This partnership will help us harness the power of AI to improve urban services, strengthen governance systems and ensure that decision-making is guided by data, transparency and citizen needs,” said Usha Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha, while addressing the gathering at the signing ceremony of a landmark MoU with the AIRAWAT Research Foundation (ARF), IIT Kanpur.

In a significant step towards building future-ready, sustainable and citizen-centric cities, the Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD) of Odisha, on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the AIRAWAT Research Foundation (ARF), IIT Kanpur, to strengthen AI-driven urban governance across the State.

The MoU was signed in the presence of senior officials at Kharabela Bhawan. Under this strategic partnership, ARF will serve as the Department’s AI Innovation Partner, providing both strategic and technical support for designing and deploying AI-enabled solutions across Odisha’s urban ecosystem.

Reiterating the State’s strong commitment to leveraging emerging technologies, ACS Padhee emphasized that Odisha is moving towards evidence-based urban planning and enhanced service delivery systems powered by data and digital intelligence. She noted that AI can play a transformative role in improving municipal service efficiency, infrastructure management, grievance redressal, and real-time decision-making in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

Amar Nath, CEO of AIRAWAT Research Foundation, highlighted the importance of collaboration between government institutions and premier research organizations to ensure AI solutions are impactful, scalable and aligned with citizen needs. He expressed ARF’s commitment to supporting Odisha in developing robust, responsible and governance-ready AI applications that can serve as models for other states.

The collaboration aims to co-develop and deploy priority AI solutions addressing key challenges in urban governance. It will focus on strengthening data systems, enhancing digital infrastructure, and creating interoperable platforms that enable smarter policy formulation and implementation. The partnership also seeks to mobilize a broader innovation ecosystem by engaging research institutions, startups and technology partners to co-create scalable solutions.

A major highlight of the initiative is the proposed establishment of an AI Project Management Unit (AI-PMU) within the Housing & Urban Development Department. The AI-PMU will function as a dedicated institutional mechanism to coordinate AI initiatives, streamline implementation, develop operational standards and build internal capacities for the effective and responsible use of AI in governance. This institutional framework is expected to ensure that AI integration is systematic, transparent and aligned with public interest.

The MoU further places strong emphasis on knowledge partnership and institutional capacity building. Training programmes, workshops and structured engagements will be undertaken to equip officials with the necessary skills to understand, manage and deploy AI solutions responsibly. Ethical considerations, data privacy safeguards and transparency in algorithmic decision-making will remain central to the initiative.

Another key component of the collaboration is the preparation of a multi-year AI roadmap for Odisha. The roadmap will be aligned with the State’s broader vision of inclusive and resilient urban development. It will identify sectoral priorities, implementation pathways and enabling frameworks for scaling AI solutions across ULBs. The roadmap is expected to provide a structured approach to mainstreaming AI in governance while ensuring adaptability and long-term sustainability.

This forward-looking initiative reflects Odisha’s continued leadership in governance innovation and its determination to harness cutting-edge technology for creating smarter, more efficient and people-first cities. Over the years, the State has consistently adopted digital reforms to enhance transparency and accountability in public service delivery. The partnership with AIRAWAT marks another milestone in that journey.

The initiative was facilitated by the eGov team led by Dr. Subrata Biswal, Head of eGov Foundation, Odisha, which played a key role in enabling the partnership and advancing the Department’s AI-driven governance agenda. Senior officers of the H&UD Department and members of Team eGov were present during the signing ceremony.