Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday, 25 July oversaw the signing of two landmark Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with global IT major HCLTech and indigenous artificial intelligence firm Sarvam AI, marking what he described as the beginning of a new technology revolution in the state. The agreements were formalised at the Convention Centre of Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar and are projected to draw investments of nearly ₹15,000 crore over the next five years.

Key Developments

Under the partnership, HCLTech will establish a Global Delivery Centre in Odisha — a move expected to give the state's IT ecosystem a significant global footprint. Separately, HCLTech and Sarvam AI will jointly set up an AI-optimised Data Centre in the state. The Odisha government has also announced plans to develop a sovereign, fully indigenous AI Park, within which the proposed data centre will be housed.

The HCLTech Global Delivery Centre alone will involve an investment of approximately ₹730 crore and is expected to generate direct employment for more than 6,000 skilled and educated youth from Odisha.

What the Chief Minister Said

'Earlier, we were dependent on foreign AI platforms, but today our indigenous AI platform, Sarvam, has become capable of matching any technology in the world. In the coming days, it will be extensively used in the fields of agriculture, healthcare, education and defence,' Chief Minister Majhi said at the signing ceremony.

He also invoked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India vision, saying Odisha is now emerging as a frontrunner in driving the country's innovation wave. Addressing investors, he declared, 'Yahi Samay Hai, Sahi Samay Hai' — 'This is the right time' — to invest in the state.

Odisha's Broader Industrial Pivot

Majhi noted that over the past two years, the state has actively diversified beyond mineral-centric industries into emerging sectors including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and information technology. The two new MoUs are part of this broader strategic reorientation.

Notably, Sarvam AI has already developed AI platforms and applications in Odia and several other major Indian languages. With the proposed AI Park and Data Centre in place, AI services in Odia and allied languages are expected to be built and delivered from within the state itself.

Enabling Policy Environment

The Chief Minister highlighted that Odisha's revised Industrial Policy, single-window clearance system, and land bank mechanism have collectively reduced the MoU-to-project-commencement timeline to under 100 days — a metric he cited as a key competitive advantage for attracting large-scale investment.

With both projects now formally committed, the focus shifts to execution timelines and whether the employment targets materialise at the pace the government has projected.