The inaugural ceremony of the three-day Generative AI Workshop was held at KIIT Deemed to be University (KIIT-DU) on 3rd July 2025. The theme of the workshop, “Empowering India Through Inclusive Generative AI,” marks a landmark initiative dedicated to advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and High-Performance Computing (HPC) in regional languages, particularly Odia. The event, held at the School of Computer Application (SCA), KIIT-DU, is jointly organized by Odia Generative AI, AHRC – IIT Bhubaneswar, and SCA.
Speaking at the workshop, Prof. Ashish Ghosh, Director of IIIT-Bhubaneswar, delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the importance of developing indigenous language technologies and the transformative power of AI in shaping the future of education, research, and governance. He underlined the urgent need for “India-made” solutions—tools and technologies developed by Indian minds for Indian languages and users. “It’s time we create something that’s truly our own,” he stated, calling for collaborative, mission-driven innovation rooted in India’s linguistic and cultural identity.
Prof. Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty, Registrar, KIIT-DU shared his vision for institutional partnerships and stressed the importance of integrating AI innovations into academic curricula.
Representing industry and global innovation in computing, Mr. Manmohan Brahma, AI & HPC Solutions Lead for APAC & India Mega Region at AMD, shared insights into the rapidly evolving AI-HPC landscape and its opportunities for regional development.
From the research frontier, Dr. Sukant Nanda from the AI & HPC Research Center (AHRC), IIT Bhubaneswar, highlighted the role of AI research ecosystems in fostering open innovation and capacity building.
The session was anchored by Ms. Shantipriya, Founder of OdiaGenAI, who welcomed the guests and introduced the mission of OdiaGenAI—to democratize AI for the Odia language and culture. She also elaborated on the organization’s key initiatives, including the creation of Odia language datasets, LLM fine-tuning, and community-driven NLP research.
The inauguration set the stage for a series of insightful discussions, technical workshops, and collaborative exchanges aimed at shaping the future of AI for low-resource Indian languages, beginning with Odia. OdiaGenAI, in collaboration with leading academic institutions and industry pioneers, continues to pave the way for inclusive AI innovations from Eastern India to the world.
The ceremony was graced by eminent dignitaries and thought leaders from academia, industry, and research.