Odisha Cabinet Clears ₹122.6-Crore OSWAS 3.0 Upgrade with AI, Modern Digital Architecture

Bhubaneswar: Odisha is set to take its digital governance system to the next level with the State Cabinet approving the implementation of OSWAS 3.0 at a negotiated cost of ₹122.60 crore, excluding taxes. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Ltd, which had earlier developed the system, has been selected for the five-year project.

The upgraded platform will introduce a microservices-based architecture and advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, with a focus on making the government’s digital workflow system more scalable, secure, interoperable and efficient.

OSWAS has emerged as one of Odisha’s key digital governance initiatives, enabling electronic movement of files and supporting faster decision-making across government offices. The system has progressively expanded from the Secretariat to field-level establishments, including Block and Tehsil offices, as part of the state’s transition towards paperless administration.

The scale of the platform increased substantially during 2025-26. According to the government, the number of offices covered under OSWAS 2.0 rose by 638 per cent, while the number of users increased by 247 per cent during the year.

With the growing adoption of the system and the expiry of TCS’s earlier contract, the government decided to develop OSWAS 3.0 with enhanced technological capabilities. The new version is intended to address the increasing demands on the digital workflow system and provide a more flexible architecture for future expansion.

The government subsequently invited bids through the eNivida portal in accordance with procurement norms. TCS emerged as the only bidder for the project. Its proposal was evaluated under the Odisha General Financial Rules (OGFR), following which negotiations were held on the quoted price.

After negotiations, TCS agreed to undertake the project for ₹122,60,25,436, excluding taxes. The proposal was then placed before the Cabinet as per the applicable financial delegation provisions and received approval at Wednesday’s meeting.

The adoption of a microservices architecture is expected to allow different components of OSWAS to be developed, updated and scaled more efficiently. The integration of AI capabilities is also expected to create opportunities for smarter workflow management and improve administrative efficiency.

The five-year project is expected to further strengthen digital file processing across the government and support the expansion of paperless governance to more offices and users.

The Cabinet approval comes at a time when Odisha is increasingly relying on technology-driven systems to improve administrative coordination and service delivery. OSWAS 3.0 is expected to provide the technological backbone for the next phase of this digital transformation.