New Delhi: Odisha is set to redefine its economic landscape with the establishment of a 20,000 crore sovereign artificial intelligence hub in partnership with Sarvam AI.
Shri Vishal Kumar Dev, Additional Chief Secretary Energy and Electronics and IT(E&IT), detailed this ambitious roadmap in a conversation with a National Media Channel, News 18, positioning the State as a formidable rival to traditional tech centers like Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
ACS Shri Dev said that Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi has been a central figure in driving this vision, emphasizing that Odisha should not merely adopt technology but become a harbinger of it.
Under Chief Minister’s leadership, the state has formalised this initiative to transition from a mines-driven economy to a mind-driven economy. The partnership was cemented with an MoU signed in February 2026 during the Black Swan Summit in Bhubaneswar, in the presence of President Shrimati Droupadi Murmu
The initiative marks a pivotal transition for Odisha, moving from a traditionally mining and metals-driven economy toward a technology-led future. The project is expected to generate 5,000 high-skilled direct and indirect jobs, focusing on specialized roles required to manage and operate an AI-optimized infrastructure. This hub is designed to be the backbone of the state’s digital transformation, supported by a 50 megawatt facility and hosting approximately 25,000 GPUs.
According to ACS Shri Vishal Dev, the state’s proactive policy making has been a key driver for this investment. Odisha was the first state in India to introduce a dedicated AI policy, offering significant incentives under its industrial policy resolution. The sovereign AI hub will not only serve the state but is also envisioned to anchor a nationwide compute grid, providing production-grade capacity to other states and national digital platforms.
A major focus of the partnership is the democratisation of technology through an Odia-first approach. The government plans to deploy population-scale, voice-enabled AI applications across critical sectors including healthcare, education, agriculture, and disaster management. By integrating Odia language models, the state aims to ensure that digital services are accessible to all citizens, particularly those in rural and tribal areas who may prefer voice-based interactions over text.
ACS Shri Dev said that the hub will also function as a public utility for the state’s core industries. In the mining and heavy industrial sectors, vision AI will be utilized to enhance safety standards and operational compliance. For the youth, the partnership will provide AI-driven tools to assist in skill development and job readiness, further solidifying Odisha’s status as a net producer and exporter of tech talent in the global AI race.