Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir is stepping up its Artificial Intelligence (AI) roadmap to transform governance and public service delivery, with Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, an IAS officer of 1989 batch, directing all departments to fast-track AI implementation and ensure timely execution of identified use cases. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Artificial Intelligence at IIT Jammu is being readied for operationalisation by August 2026, marking a major milestone in the Union Territory’s digital transformation agenda.
The directions were issued during a high-level review meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary to assess progress on AI adoption across departments and the establishment of the MeitY-supported AI Centre of Excellence.
The meeting was attended by Administrative Secretaries, representatives from IIT Jammu, BISAG, and senior officials from various departments.
AI to Become a Strategic Tool for Governance
Reviewing the progress, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo said Artificial Intelligence has the potential to fundamentally transform governance by making public administration more efficient, transparent, responsive and citizen-centric.
He stressed that AI should not merely be viewed as another digital tool but as a strategic enabler capable of improving decision-making, enhancing service delivery and strengthening governance outcomes.
He also emphasised that new AI applications should integrate with existing digital platforms instead of creating parallel systems, thereby ensuring better utilisation of public resources and seamless interoperability.
Departments Asked to Expedite AI Implementation
The Chief Secretary directed all Administrative Departments to proactively coordinate with the Information Technology Department for the early implementation of identified AI projects.
He instructed departments to:
- Nominate dedicated nodal officers for AI initiatives.
- Share high-quality datasets required for AI model development, testing and validation.
- Ensure departmental ownership of projects to facilitate smooth implementation.
He observed that data quality, interoperability and collaboration among departments would be crucial for the successful deployment of Artificial Intelligence solutions across government.
Sector-Specific Workshops Before Pilot Projects
Calling for a structured implementation framework, Dulloo directed that sector-specific workshops be organised involving departmental nodal officers, technology partners, implementation agencies and domain experts.
These workshops will assess:
- Data availability
- Infrastructure readiness
- Operational workflows
- Field-level requirements
before pilot AI projects are launched.
According to the Chief Secretary, such collaborative exercises will help prepare realistic implementation roadmaps while identifying operational challenges at an early stage.
He also directed that each AI initiative be monitored through clearly defined milestones and measurable outcome indicators to ensure timely resolution of implementation bottlenecks.
MeitY AI Centre of Excellence Nears Operationalisation
During the meeting, Commissioner Secretary, Information Technology, Saurabh Bhagat, presented the organisational framework, implementation strategy and future roadmap of the MeitY Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence.
The Centre, being established at IIT Jammu, is envisioned as a mission-mode national initiative aimed at accelerating AI adoption across governance and public service delivery.
Officials informed the meeting that:
- Around 10,000 square feet of space has already been earmarked.
- Infrastructure preparation is underway.
- The Centre is expected to become operational by August 2026.
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and implementation roadmap have been finalised in consultation with MeitY.
- Procurement of High-Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure has begun for hosting the AI Digital Public Infrastructure (AI-DPI).
Twenty AI Use Cases Across Eight Priority Sectors
The meeting also reviewed progress under the Artificial Intelligence adoption programme being implemented across Jammu and Kashmir under the guidance of the Union Territory Level Steering Committee (UTLSC).
A total of 20 AI use cases have been identified across eight priority sectors, including:
- Education
- Skill Development
- Agriculture
- Power Development
- Public Governance
- Health & Medical Education
- Transport & Infrastructure
- Emerging sectors such as Tribal Welfare and Security
Officials informed the meeting that consultations have already been held with premier academic institutions, technology companies, startups and research organisations to develop practical AI-based governance solutions.
Several technology partners have expressed willingness to undertake pilot implementations, while multiple proposals are currently under technical evaluation.
AI Applications Planned Across Public Services
The review covered several AI-enabled governance initiatives currently under planning and validation.
These include:
- Foundational literacy and numeracy support
- Multilingual learning platforms
- Precision agriculture
- Hyper-local weather intelligence
- Digital governance solutions
- Utility demand forecasting
- Infrastructure health monitoring
- Urban flood modelling
- Oral cancer screening
- Clinical decision support systems
- Other technology-driven public service applications
Officials also reviewed the status of departmental consultations, stakeholder engagement, technical validation and pilot planning for each identified use case.
Focus on Citizen-Centric Governance
Concluding the meeting, the Chief Secretary emphasised the importance of close coordination among departments and partner institutions to ensure that Artificial Intelligence delivers measurable improvements in governance.
He reiterated that the objective is to harness AI as a key driver of transparent, efficient and citizen-centric governance across Jammu and Kashmir, while ensuring timely implementation of all approved initiatives.
With the MeitY Centre of Excellence nearing operationalisation and multiple AI pilot projects under preparation, Jammu and Kashmir is positioning itself among the leading states and Union Territories adopting Artificial Intelligence for governance and public service transformation.
