Beyond pilot projects: How Madhya Pradesh is turning AI into a governance powerhouse | India News

Beyond pilot projects: How Madhya Pradesh is turning AI into a governance powerhouse | India News

3 min readBhopalMar 22, 2026 07:10 AM IST

Madhya Pradesh is preparing to institutionalise the use of artificial intelligence across governance, marking a shift from scattered pilot projects to a structured and state-wide deployment that could redefine how welfare delivery and administrative decisions are made.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s Saturday announced the State AI Mission with predictive governance at the proposal’s core.

The state plans to identify potential risks in sectors such as agriculture, health, nutrition and disaster management in advance. Officials will be “equipped with AI-based tools for drafting, analysis, decision support and data management to improve administrative efficiency,” said an official. The government said AI applications will be expanded beyond pilot projects and implemented across major schemes.

According to officials, AI technologies will be deployed with human oversight to ensure security and public trust. The government said the initiative is designed to “improve access to services for farmers, rural communities, youth and underprivileged groups by enabling faster and more personalised delivery mechanisms”. The mission also aims to expand economic opportunities by making AI technology more accessible and affordable.

The rollout will take place in phases. In 2026–27, the focus will be on consolidating existing AI initiatives and strengthening foundational infrastructure. In 2027–28, successful use cases will be scaled across departments. From 2028 onwards, the state aims to establish AI as a permanent institutional capability within governance systems.

Several existing platforms are already incorporating AI-based features. MP e-Seva and Sampada 2.0 are using tools such as eligibility identification, facial recognition and real-time tracking to improve service delivery. In the agriculture sector, systems including AI-based Girdawari, the SIPRI project, district-level GIS platforms, and SARA and Unnati AgriGIS are being used for crop mapping and yield assessment, supporting decision-making in schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.

AI is also being used in social sector programmes. The Suman Sakhi initiative is monitoring maternal and child health services, while MP Kaushal Rath and GyanKosh are linking youth to skill development and employment opportunities. On the Samagra platform, AI-based identification systems are being used to ensure targeted delivery of government benefits.

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The state government said it will adopt principles of responsible AI, including transparency, auditability and privacy protection. It also plans to develop an AI ecosystem through partnerships with startups, academic institutions and industry, along with training programmes for youth and government officials to build capacity in emerging technologies.

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.

Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the “vacuum of command” that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.

Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a “Journalism of Courage” approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:

National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.

Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).

Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.

Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.

Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.

Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.

Notable Investigations: * Exposed the “digital arrest” scams targeting entrepreneurs.

Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.

Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.

Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express

Twitter handle: @mohanreports … Read More

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