Bhubaneswar, February 11 The Odisha government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Airawat Research Foundation (ARF) of IIT Kanpur on Wednesday to strengthen AI-driven urban governance in the state, according to an official statement.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Usha Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the Housing & Urban Development Department.
Padhee reiterated Odisha's strong commitment to leveraging emerging technologies for improved urban planning, service delivery, and evidence-based decision-making.
Under the partnership, ARF will act as the department's AI innovation partner, providing strategic and technical support for the design and adoption of AI-enabled solutions across Odisha's urban ecosystem, she said.
"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," the ACS said.
ARF CEO Amar Nath highlighted the importance of collaborative innovation between the government and premier research institutions to ensure that 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 for urban transformation.
The collaboration aims to co-develop and deploy priority AI solutions to address key challenges in urban governance, strengthen data systems and digital infrastructure, and support ecosystem mobilization through engagement with research institutions, startups, and technology partners, the statement said.
The MoU also places strong emphasis on knowledge partnership and institutional capacity building, ensuring that AI is used in a responsible, ethical, and transparent manner for public benefit, it said.
A key component of the partnership is the proposed establishment of an AI Project Management Unit (AI-PMU) within the Housing & Urban Development Department. The AI-PMU will serve as a dedicated institutional mechanism to coordinate AI initiatives, support implementation, develop standards, and strengthen internal capacities for the effective and responsible use of AI in governance.
The partnership will also support the preparation of a multi-year AI roadmap for Odisha, aligned with the state's vision of inclusive and resilient urban development. The roadmap will identify sectoral priorities, implementation pathways, and enabling frameworks for scaling AI solutions in urban local bodies (ULBs).