MeitY Approves Odisha AI Centre; Blue Cloud Plans ₹4 Crore Investment

16 Sep 2026, 07:47 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

Bhubaneswar is set to get a dedicated artificial intelligence hub with a mandate extending from startup incubation to real-world deployment, after the proposed IndiaAI Centre of Excellence in Odisha received in-principle approval from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

The project will have an industry component from the outset. As reported by the Business Standard, Hyderabad-based Blue Cloud Softech Solutions has been confirmed as an industry partner and will contribute ₹4 crore towards the Centre’s development under a definitive memorandum of understanding (MoU) to be executed with Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).

The proposed Centre is not being designed solely as a research facility. Its remit will include applied AI innovation, startup incubation, capacity building and the deployment of responsible and scalable AI solutions. Healthcare, governance, disaster management, education and industrial applications are among the areas identified for work at the facility.

A significant part of its mandate will be tailored to Odisha’s own requirements. On MeitY’s advice, the Centre will also work around sectors linked to the state’s geographical and developmental strengths, including oceanography, coastal fisheries, tidal and ocean energy, and women and child development.

STPI, an autonomous society under MeitY, will implement the project. It has earmarked approximately 10,000 square feet of built-up space, along with supporting infrastructure, specifically for establishing and operating the Centre in Bhubaneswar.

The facility is being developed under the IndiaAI Mission, the Centre’s national programme for building sovereign AI compute infrastructure and expanding India’s AI innovation ecosystem.

The company sees the Centre as a route for moving AI products from proof-of-concept stages into larger deployments. Tejesh Kumar Kodali, group chairman of Blue Cloud Softech Solutions, said Business Standard that the company’s existing capabilities could be applied to practical challenges in areas such as healthcare, disaster management, coastal fisheries and the ocean economy.

Kodali said the company’s involvement would not be limited to its ₹4-crore financial commitment and would include its platforms, engineers and mentorship for startups coming through the Bhubaneswar Centre.

The company has also linked the initiative to its wider work under the IndiaAI Mission and its engagement with governments in India and Africa. Vinod Babu Bollikonda, managing director and group CEO of Blue Cloud, said the Bhubaneswar Centre fits into that existing work and that the company intends to proceed with the definitive MoU with STPI so operations can begin.

The immediate next step is the execution of that agreement. STPI has already asked Blue Cloud to initiate the process, following MeitY’s in-principle clearance of the Odisha government’s recommended proposal.

Once operational, the Centre will bring government, industry and startups into a common platform, with its work spanning broad AI applications as well as areas particularly relevant to Odisha’s economy, geography and public-development priorities.