Emphasis on Effective Use of AI in Government Functioning: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai, February 2026 : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that rapid advances in artificial intelligence are transforming markets and the nature of employment, and the government has begun placing strong emphasis on the effective use of AI in official functioning to build a prepared and capable administration.

The Chief Minister shared these views while responding to questions from journalist Vishnu Som during a panel discussion at the NASSCOM Technology and Leadership Forum 2026 in Mumbai. The session was also attended by Microsoft India President Sindhu Gangadharan and PwC India Chairman Sanjeev Krishnan.

Chief Minister Fadnavis said that efforts are underway to expand the use of AI across government systems to build robust digital public infrastructure. The state government is also working to develop an AI-enabled workforce by strengthening coordination between educational institutions and industry. As part of this initiative, a workshop for all educational institutions in the state will be organised in Mumbai. He noted that as technology evolves, the nature of employment is changing, and the education system must adapt accordingly. If the government, educational institutions, and industry bodies such as NASSCOM work together, Maharashtra can move faster in the AI domain.

India’s Global Leadership in Digital Public Infrastructure

The Chief Minister said that at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Brazilian ministers shared that they are developing their own systems based on India’s experience in digital public infrastructure (DPI). He noted that India currently holds a leadership position globally in this field.

Use of AI in Agriculture: ‘AgriStack’ and ‘Mahavistar’

Referring to the recently launched ‘AI for Agri Summit’, Chief Minister Fadnavis said that under the ‘AgriStack’ initiative, data related to landholdings, crops, and other details of every farmer in Maharashtra are being consolidated. Additionally, through the ‘Mahavistar’ AI app, generative AI is being used to provide every registered farmer with a personalised digital assistant. At present, 3 million farmers have been connected to this platform. The convergence of ‘AgriStack’ and ‘Mahavistar’ will help reduce farmers’ production costs by 25 to 40 percent and significantly lower uncertainty in agriculture.

Industry Participation in Policymaking

The Chief Minister said that policymaking in the state is now guided by the mantra of “policy-led growth.” While framing the Global Capability Centres (GCC) policy, inputs from various industry associations were taken, following which Pune has been ranked the top city in the country within the GCC ecosystem. He added that the state’s logistics policy has also been formulated with the participation of the Logistics Council and is future-ready, highlighting the growing importance of logistics in supply chain management.

Given the significant employment generation in the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, work has begun on a dedicated policy to increase the use of AI in this area. For this, collaboration will be undertaken with NASSCOM, the Confederation of Indian Industry, and various sector councils.

AI as an Opportunity

Addressing concerns about job losses due to AI, Chief Minister Fadnavis said similar fears were expressed during the computer revolution, yet India leveraged that transformation to make a major leap in the IT sector. AI should be viewed not as a threat but as an opportunity for progress. While the nature of jobs will change, new opportunities will emerge. He pointed out that the profession of a “creator” exists today, something that was unimaginable a decade ago. He also emphasised that the new generation has embraced technology, and the mindset to accept change will be crucial going forward.