Bhubaneswar: In a major stride toward equitable technology, the IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) collaborated with the Government of Odisha to host the Conclave on Democratising AI Resources Working Group Meeting in Bhubaneswar today.
Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, Minister, E&IT, Chief Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja, Union Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, Shri Sudeep Shrivastava of MeitY graced the occasion.
Shri Vishal Kumar Dev, Principal Secretary Energy, Electronics & Information Technology detailed out the agenda. Shri Dev said the roadmap established in Bhubaneswar will feed directly into the IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026, where over 50 countries are expected to finalize a global charter on AI resource democratization.
The session, co-chaired by Egypt, signifies the start of the three-day Regional AI Impact Conference, Odisha, running from December 18 to 20, 2025. This regional gathering serves as a critical precursor to the upcoming IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for February in New Delhi.
The meeting brought together a high-level assembly of senior policymakers, industry leaders, and academics to hammer out actionable strategies for data infrastructure, compute access, and sectoral AI deployment. Central to the discussions was the mission of the IndiaAI Working Groups, which are organized around seven thematic chakras including human capital, safe and trusted AI, and inclusion for social empowerment. By focusing on democratizing resources, the group aims to ensure that foundational AI enablers are accessible to all citizens, moving beyond theoretical policy to practical, population-scale implementation.
Inaugural addresses highlighted the strategic importance of this convening. Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, Odisha’s IT Minister, noted that hosting this regional conference positions Odisha as a frontrunner in people-centric governance. Shri Sudeep Shrivastava of MeitY emphasized that the theme of democratizing resources is at the core of India’s digital ethos, while Egypt’s AI Governance Expert, Mr. Ahmed Hefnawy, reaffirmed the commitment to represent the interests of the Global South. Professor Shreepad Karmalkar of IIT Bhubaneswar further defined the goal as enabling every user to access authentic information reliably, regardless of their technical background.
A significant focus of the session was the practical application of these technologies within the machinery of government. Shri Manoj Ahuja, Chief Secretary of Odisha, harped on the critical use of AI in state administration to streamline public service delivery.
Complementing this vision, Shri Vishal Kumar Dev, Principal Secretary for Energy, Electronics and IT, underscored the transformative potential of AI specifically within the government sector. Shri Dev is currently leading efforts to scale up AI initiatives across Odisha, ensuring the state remains at the cutting edge of digital transformation.
As the regional conference continues through December 20, it will reinforce the national commitment to the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, ensuring that the future of artificial intelligence is built on a foundation of inclusivity, resilience, and shared progress.