Maharashtra uses GenAI to boost welfare schemes

Maharashtra is leveraging generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools and startups to facilitate welfare programmes including direct benefit transfer, healthcare schemes and grievance redressal for citizens, Parag Jain Nainutia, principal secretary - general administration (information & technology) at the state government, said at the ET Digital Transformation Dialogues panel discussion.

“We are collating, collecting data, using the free flow of data within the state government and within the Government of India … Our idea is there should not be any responsibility on the citizen to submit the same document again and again. If it is captured in my data once, it will fetch from my database and tell him that this is the scheme you are eligible for,” Nainutia said.

Speaking during the discussion on ‘Strategic AI Adoption in Enterprises: Navigating Challenges and Unlocking Opportunities’, the IAS officer pointed out that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has chosen Maharashtra as a strategic partner and is using several tools for leveraging and collecting data of citizens. Through the central government-led application Bhashini, developed by MeitY to allow users to access digital services in their own language, several states are gathering citizens’ data across parameters.


“In Maharashtra, we are capturing 146 parameters … I have looked at all the four models,” Nainutia said. The idea, he said, is that through the use of technology and AI, the government can prepare efficient databases. The Maharashtra government is sending about Rs 25,000 crore a year as direct benefit transfer digitally. GenAI technology is also used to reduce the government’s burden for service delivery for healthcare, by pressing a button to access hospitals and ambulances and aid reduction of road accidents from current 15,000 accidents annually.