Odisha Signs MoU with IIT Kanpur’s AIRAWAT Foundation to Boost AI-Driven Urban Governance

Bhubaneswar: In a strategic move to accelerate the development of future-ready, sustainable and citizen-centric cities, the Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD), Government of Odisha, on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the AIRAWAT Research Foundation (ARF), IIT Kanpur, to strengthen artificial intelligence (AI)-driven urban governance in the State.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Additional Chief Secretary, H&UDD, Smt. Usha Padhee, who reaffirmed the State’s commitment to leveraging emerging technologies to enhance urban planning, service delivery and evidence-based decision-making. Under the partnership, ARF will serve as the Department’s AI Innovation Partner, offering strategic and technical support for the design and deployment of AI-enabled solutions across Odisha’s urban ecosystem.

Speaking on the occasion, Smt. Padhee said Odisha aims to build cities that are not only smart but also inclusive, responsive and humane. “This partnership will enable us to harness the power of AI to improve urban services, strengthen governance systems and ensure that decision-making is driven by data, transparency and citizen needs,” she said.

ARF CEO Shri Amar Nath underlined the importance of collaboration between governments and premier research institutions to ensure that AI solutions are impactful, scalable and aligned with public needs. He expressed ARF’s commitment to supporting Odisha in developing robust, responsible and governance-ready AI applications for urban transformation.

The collaboration will focus on co-developing and deploying priority AI solutions to address key challenges in urban governance, strengthening data systems and digital infrastructure, and fostering ecosystem mobilisation through partnerships with research institutions, startups and technology providers. The MoU also emphasises knowledge partnership and institutional capacity building, ensuring ethical, transparent and responsible use of AI in public administration.

A major highlight of the partnership is the proposed establishment of an AI Project Management Unit (AI-PMU) within the Housing & Urban Development Department. The dedicated unit will coordinate AI initiatives, support implementation, develop standards and strengthen internal capacities for effective adoption of AI-driven governance tools.

The partnership will also facilitate the formulation 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 strategies and enabling frameworks for scaling AI solutions across Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

The initiative, facilitated by the eGov Foundation team led by Dr. Subrata Biswal, Head of eGov Foundation, Odisha, reflects the State’s continued leadership in governance innovation and its resolve to leverage technology for building smarter, efficient and people-first cities.