Bhubaneswar: Odisha took a major stride towards becoming a leading destination for artificial intelligence and digital innovation on Friday by signing strategic agreements with HCLTech and Sarvam AI. The partnerships are expected to bring investments of around ₹15,000 crore over the next five years while creating thousands of employment opportunities in the state’s fast-growing technology sector.
The Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed at Lok Seva Bhavan in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who described the collaborations as a major boost to Odisha’s technology-driven growth and its vision of emerging as a preferred investment destination for knowledge-based industries.
A key component of the partnership is HCLTech’s proposed Global Delivery Centre in Odisha, which will be established with an investment of around ₹730 crore. The centre is expected to generate more than 6,000 direct jobs and strengthen the state’s information technology ecosystem.
The state government will also develop a Sovereign AI Park to host an AI-Optimized Data Centre to be jointly set up by HCLTech and Sarvam AI. The project aims to strengthen indigenous artificial intelligence capabilities while creating advanced digital infrastructure to support AI-driven services across multiple sectors.
Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Majhi said the projects align with the Digital India vision and reflect Odisha’s efforts to diversify beyond its mineral-based economy by promoting emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, information technology, pharmaceuticals and textiles.
He noted that Sarvam AI has already developed AI platforms in Odia and several other Indian languages, adding that the proposed AI Park would enable AI services in regional languages to support agriculture, healthcare, education and defence.
Highlighting Odisha’s investment momentum, the Chief Minister said the state has received investment proposals worth more than ₹20 lakh crore over the past two years, approved projects valued at over ₹10 lakh crore and grounded investments exceeding ₹3 lakh crore. He also pointed to Odisha’s ranking among the top five states in NITI Aayog’s Investment Friendliness Index 2026, stating that the government is working to place the state among the top three.
Electronics and Information Technology Minister Mukesh Mahaling said the agreements would further strengthen Odisha’s digital economy and reinforce its growing reputation in the electronics, semiconductor and IT sectors.
HCL Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra expressed confidence in Odisha’s growth potential and appreciated the state’s investor-friendly policies. She said the company’s expansion plans include the development of a dedicated AI Park, adding that Odisha has demonstrated its readiness to emerge as a national hub for artificial intelligence.
The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev, HCLTech CEO and Managing Director C. Vijayakumar, Sarvam AI CEO Pratyush Kumar, senior government officials, industry representatives and members of academia.
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