MUMBAI: Maharashtra government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday with the Microsoft Corporation for strategic partnership to establish three cutting edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) centres of excellence in Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur to accelerate the adoption of AI technologies within the state’s administration.
The Mumbai Centre for Geospatial Analytics will be hosted in the chief secretary’s office and will provide advanced geospatial analytics capabilities. It will support critical decision-making in governance through satellite imagery analysis, spatial data management, and geographic information system-based applications.
The Centre for Excellence in Pune will see integration of AI capabilities with existing forensic science infrastructure to enhance criminal investigation processes, forensic data analysis and evidence management. The Nagpur-based Maharashtra Advanced Research and Vigilance for Enforcement of Reformed Laws Limited (MARVEL), the third centre of excellence, will help strengthen AI-driven solutions for government functions, focusing on enforcement, monitoring, vigilance, and innovative governance reforms. The capacity building will be ensured through the collaboration between MARVEL and IIM-Nagpur.
The MoU engages Microsoft Corporation for comprehensive training programs and certification to the government employees through its globally recognised MS Learn platforms. “The capacity-building initiative will equip state personnel with advanced Al skills, ensuring sustainable expertise for effective governance and administration. It will help the government in improved efficiency, transparency, and speed in public service delivery, and enabling enhanced capability of state employees through advanced Al training and certification,” the statement issued by the government has stated.
On the sidelines of the MoU with Microsoft Corporation, the cabinet subcommittee decided to form a high-power committee to strengthen MARVEL for the efficient use of AI in government and semi-government offices. The state government has decided to widen the scope of MARVEL, which was established in 2024 to use AI in the police force, by extending its services to other government departments.
The projects related to the AI will now be implemented in all the government and semi government offices. The MARVEL will ensure the confidentiality and safety of the government information. The high-power committee under chief secretary will hank pick the projects to be handed over to MARVEL,” the government statement has stated.