Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh inaugurated the 1st State-Level Digital Governance, AI, Cyber Security and Skilling Workshop at the Main Conference Hall of Civil Secretariat, Mantripukhri in Imphal on Wednesday.
The workshop was organised by the Department of Information Technology, Government of Manipur, in collaboration with Microsoft India.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister stated that Manipur is committed to becoming a digitally empowered, inclusive, and future-ready State. He said that the collaboration with Microsoft reflects the Government’s shared vision of leveraging technology to transform governance, create new opportunities for the youth and improve the lives of every citizen.
Khemchand Singh further said the government aims to build a secure, citizen-centric and inclusive digital ecosystem where every citizen, irrespective of location, has access to efficient, transparent and reliable government services.
He said that through Microsoft’s skilling initiatives, the Government intends to equip youth, government officials and entrepreneurs with future-ready skills in Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies.
These capabilities, he said, will generate employment, encourage innovation and promote entrepreneurship across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, tourism and digital services, he added.
Highlighting the importance of trust and security in digital transformation, the Chief Minister said that the Government remains committed to safeguarding the privacy and security of citizens while implementing digital initiatives.
Khemchand Singh urged all stakeholders to work together towards building a Digital Manipur that is innovative, resilient and inclusive.
In his address, Somorjit Salam, Secretary (IT), Government of Manipur, said that the proposed signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Manipur and Microsoft will mark the beginning of a collaborative framework to explore innovation in digital governance, capacity building, cybersecurity, responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence and digital skills development.
He further stated that one of the significant features of the partnership is the effort to strengthen digital support for the Manipuri language, making technology more inclusive and accessible for the people of the State.
Speaking on the occasion, Keshri Asthana, Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft India, reaffirmed Microsoft’s commitment to supporting Manipur through secure cloud infrastructure, enhanced cybersecurity capabilities, and robust frameworks that enable the Government to maintain full control over its digital data.
He stated that the MoU will have a long-term partnership focused on digital transformation, cloud adoption, AI-driven innovation, capacity building, cybersecurity and the delivery of citizen-centric digital services.
