Bhubaneswar: In a major boost to efforts aimed at building future-ready, sustainable and citizen-centric cities, Odisha’s Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UD) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the AIRAWAT Research Foundation (ARF), IIT Kanpur, to strengthen AI-driven urban governance in the state.

Under the partnership, IIT Kanpur’s AIRAWAT Research Foundation will serve as the AI innovation partner to the H&UD Department, providing strategic and technical support for the design and adoption of AI-enabled solutions across Odisha’s urban ecosystem.

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 promote ecosystem mobilisation through engagement with research institutions, startups and technology partners. It will also focus on knowledge sharing and institutional capacity building, ensuring the responsible, ethical and transparent use of AI for public benefit.

Aim is to make inclusive cities

Speaking on the occasion, Usha Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, 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.”

Amar Nath, CEO of AIRAWAT Research Foundation, highlighted the importance of collaborative innovation between government and premier research institutions to ensure that AI solutions are impactful, scalable and aligned with citizen priorities.

As part of the agreement, an AI Project Management Unit (AI-PMU) will be established within the Housing and Urban Development Department. The AI-PMU will function as a dedicated institutional mechanism to coordinate AI initiatives, support implementation, develop standards and enhance internal capacities for the effective and responsible use of AI in governance.

Senior officers of the H&UD Department and representatives of Team eGov, which facilitated the initiative, were present at the MoU signing ceremony held in Bhubaneswar.