Bhubaneswar: Odisha took a major step towards becoming a technology and artificial intelligence hub on Friday by signing two landmark Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with HCLTech and indigenous AI company Sarvam AI. The agreements were signed in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan here.
Describing the initiative as the beginning of a “technology revolution” in Odisha, the Chief Minister said the projects would strengthen the state’s digital economy, create high-quality employment and position Odisha as a leading destination for investments in emerging technologies.
Under the agreements, HCLTech will establish a Global Development Centre (Global Delivery Centre) in Odisha with an initial investment of Rs 730 crore. The project is expected to generate more than 6,000 direct jobs for skilled youth in the State.
In the second project, HCLTech and Sarvam AI will jointly establish an AI-Optimised Data Centre, while the Odisha government will develop a sovereign AI Park where the data centre will be located. The initiative aims to strengthen India’s indigenous AI capabilities and ensure secure domestic data infrastructure.
The State government said the two projects together are expected to attract investments worth around Rs 15,000 crore over the next five years. Speaking on the occasion, Majhi said India has become “tech-ready” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India vision and that Odisha is now emerging as a frontrunner in technology-driven growth.
“Earlier, we depended on foreign AI platforms. Today, our indigenous AI platform, Sarvam, is capable of competing with the best technologies in the world,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the technology would find applications in agriculture, healthcare, education and defence.
Sarvam AI has already developed AI platforms and applications in major Indian languages, including Odia. The proposed AI Park and Data Centre will enable AI services in Odia and other Indian languages to be developed and delivered from Odisha.
Highlighting the State’s industrial growth, the Chief Minister said Odisha has received investment proposals worth over Rs 20 lakh crore in the past two years, approved projects worth over Rs 10 lakh crore, and projects valued at more than Rs 3 lakh crore are already under implementation.
He also said Odisha has been ranked among the top five states in NITI Aayog’s Investment Friendliness Index 2026, with the government aiming to secure a place among the top three.
Majhi attributed the state’s growing attractiveness to investors to reforms such as the new Industrial Policy, a single-window clearance system and an expanded land bank, which have reduced the time taken to launch projects to less than 100 days.
State Electronics and Information Technology Minister Mukesh Mahaling described the agreements as a milestone for Odisha’s IT and electronics sector, saying they would propel the state to a new level of technological advancement.
HCL Chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra said the company is fully committed to investing in Odisha and credited the state’s supportive policy environment for the decision. She also announced that the proposed AI Park would become a significant milestone in Odisha’s artificial intelligence ecosystem.
The MoUs were signed in the presence of senior government officials, including Additional Chief Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev, HCLTech CEO and Managing Director C. Vijayakumar, Sarvam AI CEO Pratyush Kumar, and representatives from industry and academia.