Odisha's 45,000 CSCs driving Digital India reach, says H&FW Minister Mahaling
Synopsis
Odisha's 45,000-plus CSCs have quietly become one of India's most productive digital-delivery networks — registering over a crore women under Subhadra Yojana, distributing 1.76 crore Ayushman Bharat cards, and generating ₹12,800 crore in business while the state's own incentive to CSCs jumped sixfold in two years.
Key Takeaways
Odisha has more than 45,000 CSC centres delivering digital and government services to citizens as of 29 July 2025 .
CSCs registered over one crore women under Subhadra Yojana and distributed more than 1.76 crore Ayushman Bharat cards .
Over eight lakh beneficiaries enrolled under Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana through the CSC network.
CSCs facilitated business worth approximately ₹12,800 crore and created livelihoods for nearly two lakh VLEs .
State government incentive to CSCs rose from ₹1 crore to ₹6.5 crore over two years — a more than sixfold increase.
Minister Mukesh Mahaling credited PM Modi's Digital India vision and CM Mohan Charan Majhi's leadership for the acceleration.
Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling on Wednesday, 29 July declared that Common Service Centres (CSCs) have emerged as a foundational pillar of Digital Odisha, delivering government and digital services directly to citizens at their doorstep. Speaking at the 17th CSC Day celebrations in Bhubaneswar, he underlined that the CSC network had been advancing digital inclusion across the country for 17 years.
Scale of the CSC Network in Odisha
Odisha now hosts more than 45,000 CSC centres actively delivering digital services to citizens, according to the Minister. These centres have collectively generated livelihood opportunities for nearly two lakh Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) and facilitated business worth approximately ₹12,800 crore. The state government's incentive allocation to CSCs has surged from ₹1 crore two years ago to ₹6.5 crore at present — a more than sixfold increase that reflects the network's rapid expansion.
Key Services and Scheme Deliveries
Mahaling highlighted that CSCs in Odisha had registered more than one crore women under the Subhadra Yojana and distributed over 1.76 crore Ayushman Bharat cards. Additionally, more than eight lakh beneficiaries have been enrolled under the Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana. The centres have also driven implementation of schemes including e-Shram, PM Vishwakarma, crop insurance, digital literacy programmes, telemedicine, and several social security initiatives — particularly in rural and tribal areas.
Healthcare Transformation Through CSCs
The Minister specifically credited the National Digital Health Mission with enabling people in rural Odisha to access digital health IDs, teleconsultation services, and modern healthcare facilities. He described this as a significant transformation in rural healthcare delivery, noting that CSCs had effectively bridged the digital divide between urban centres and remote villages. 'The CSCs have become trusted centres of hope, healthcare, and development, particularly in rural and tribal areas,' Mahaling said.
Political Leadership and Vision
Mahaling attributed the momentum behind Odisha's digital transformation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's overarching Digital India vision and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi's state-level leadership. He described CSCs as a powerful medium that had carried the Digital India campaign from village to village and door to door. Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabinarayan Naik attended the event as Chief Guest.
What Comes Next
With state incentives scaling rapidly and the CSC network already embedded in rural governance, Odisha's model is increasingly being cited as a template for digital service delivery in large, geographically diverse states. The continued expansion of telemedicine and health ID registration through CSCs is expected to deepen as the National Digital Health Mission rolls out further phases.
Point of View
1.76 crore Ayushman cards, ₹12,800 crore in facilitated business — suggest Odisha's CSC network has moved well beyond a symbolic digital-access initiative into a genuine last-mile delivery infrastructure. The sixfold jump in state incentives is the more telling signal: it indicates the government is doubling down on a model that is producing measurable outputs rather than retreating to centralised portals. What remains to be scrutinised is whether VLE earnings are sustainable without continued state subsidy, and whether telemedicine uptake through CSCs translates into improved health outcomes or merely improved registration statistics.
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Common Service Centres (CSCs) and what do they do in Odisha?
Common Service Centres are government-authorised digital service delivery points that bring banking, healthcare, education, and welfare scheme access to citizens at the village level. In Odisha, more than 45,000 such centres are operational, registering beneficiaries under schemes like Subhadra Yojana and Ayushman Bharat and offering telemedicine services.
How many CSC centres are currently active in Odisha?
As of 29 July 2025, Odisha has more than 45,000 active CSC centres, according to Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling. These centres collectively serve rural and tribal populations across the state.
What is the Subhadra Yojana and how have CSCs contributed to it?
Subhadra Yojana is an Odisha government welfare scheme targeting women beneficiaries. CSCs have facilitated the registration of over one crore women under the scheme, making them a critical channel for its on-ground rollout.
How much business have Odisha's CSCs facilitated?
CSCs across the country have facilitated business worth approximately ₹12,800 crore and generated livelihood opportunities for nearly two lakh Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), according to figures cited at the 17th CSC Day event in Bhubaneswar.
How has the Odisha government's financial support to CSCs changed?
The state government's incentive to CSCs has increased from ₹1 crore two years ago to ₹6.5 crore at present — a more than sixfold rise that reflects the network's growing scale and the government's commitment to expanding digital service delivery.
