Bhubaneswar: In a bid to improve its overall performance ranking, the Odisha government has intensified efforts to upskill its workforce in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.

As per official sources, employees completing AI and cybersecurity courses will play a key role in boosting the state’s ranking. As part of the initiative, government personnel have been encouraged to undertake at least one course every month to strengthen their digital competencies.

The state has identified three key focus areas to enhance its standing—improving performance across priority sectors, expanding departmental coverage of active users, and increasing the number of employees completing multiple courses.

Officials said employees completing more than one course will be given higher weightage, further contributing to the state’s ranking metrics.

Government data shows as of March 2026, a total of 3,88,854 employees have been onboarded under the initiative, while 18,80,332 have registered for various courses. Of these, 12,45,956 employees have successfully completed AI-related training programmes.

Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said integrating Artificial Intelligence into everyday systems is no longer optional but essential across sectors.

He added cybersecurity has emerged as a major threat in the digital age, and the government is taking steps to impart specialised training, including for the Crime Branch. Efforts are underway to strengthen mechanisms to counter cyber threats and safeguard sensitive data.

AI-powered applications are increasingly being used across various functions, ranging from the selection of beneficiaries to database management. By improving speed and accuracy in these processes, the government aims to build a more dynamic and efficient governance model, the minister added.