Chhattisgarh AI Mission Plans Five Centres of Excellence and Training for 1.5 Lakh Government Staff

Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel chairs the first meeting of the Chhattisgarh AI Mission’s steering committee at Mahanadi Bhavan on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. The lower panels show senior officials attending the meeting.Photo:primelookindia.com via CG/DPR

The mission’s steering committee held its first meeting under Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel. Its roadmap calls for 20 AI data labs in the first year, alongside training for government staff and new learning material for students.

Key Highlights

• Five Centres of Excellence are planned across the Raipur, Durg, Surguja, Bilaspur and Bastar divisions.
• The state plans to establish 20 AI data labs in the first year to support research and technology development.
• About 15,000 government employees will receive specialised training in the first phase, as part of a wider target of 1.5 lakh staff.
• The roadmap also includes AI courses for students and proposals for research grants, academic chairs and fellowships.

Raipur: Chhattisgarh plans to establish five artificial intelligence Centres of Excellence and train about 1.5 lakh government employees in the use of AI. Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel chaired the first meeting of the Chhattisgarh AI Mission’s steering committee at Mahanadi Bhavan on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. The committee discussed how the state could use AI in public administration while expanding access to training and supporting research.

Five Divisions to Host Centres of Excellence

The state plans to set up Centres of Excellence in the Raipur, Durg, Surguja, Bilaspur and Bastar divisions. Work on the Raipur centre is being taken forward in collaboration with the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Raipur and the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Naya Raipur. The mission also aims to establish 20 AI data labs in its first year to support work on data and technology research.

First Phase to Train 15,000 Government Employees

The state plans to provide specialised training to about 15,000 government employees in the first phase through institutions such as IIIT, NIT and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM). This will form part of a wider programme to train approximately 1.5 lakh employees in using AI for administrative work.

Vikas Sheel directed Information Technology Department officials to coordinate with other departments and draw up an action plan based on where AI could be useful in their work.

AI Courses for Students and Support for Research

The mission plans to develop AI courses and digital learning material for school pupils, higher education students and those pursuing technical education. It aims to reach thousands of young people with training in its first year. The committee also considered proposals for research grants, academic chairs and fellowships in partnership with educational institutions in Chhattisgarh.

Senior officials at the meeting included Sonmoni Borah, Rahul Bhagat, Dr Kamalpreet Singh, Dr Rohit Yadav, Ankit Anand, Rajat Kumar, Basavaraju S., Amit Kataria and Shammi Abidi.