The Jharkhand government on Wednesday began a two-day national stakeholder consultation in New Delhi to seek inputs from policymakers, industry leaders, technology experts and development partners on the Vision 2050 roadmap, with discussions focusing on artificial intelligence, digital governance, industrial investment and tourism.
The consultation, jointly organized by the IT, Industry and Tourism ministries under the leadership of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, aims to shape policies for long-term economic growth and attract investment to the state.
Addressing the inaugural session, Soren said Jharkhand’s future should not only be driven by its natural resources, but also by innovation and knowledge. “Jharkhand’s identity should not be limited to mines, it should also be built on minds,” he said, adding that the government wanted to promote research, technology and overall development along with industrial growth.
The government has also placed several draft policy documents in the public domain for stakeholder consultation. These include the draft Jharkhand Artificial Intelligence Policy, Investment Promotion Policy, Tourism Policy, Textiles Policy, JIADA Regulations, Public-Private Partnership Policy and a concept paper on the proposed Jharkhand Foundation.
Technology companies participate in the consultations
The first day’s discussions focused on AI adoption, digital governance and IT infrastructure. Representatives from companies such as Microsoft, Google, IBM, Oracle, AWS, and Salesforce participated in business-to-government (B2G) interactions with senior government officials.
According to the government, the discussions covered AI-enabled governance, cloud infrastructure, digital skills, healthcare technology, and strengthening the state’s digital ecosystem. Google proposed training and certification programs in the field of artificial intelligence for school teachers, while Microsoft discussed creating a data intelligence platform based on artificial intelligence for government departments. IBM and AWS also submitted proposals related to artificial intelligence applications, cybersecurity, and digital governance.
Consultations will continue on Thursday with sessions on industrial investment, tourism and strategic partnerships. The government is also expected to unveil draft additional policy frameworks, sign memorandums of understanding, and launch digital portals aimed at improving the ease of doing business and facilitating investors.
