Caption: From L to R: Aman Jain, Senior Director & Head of Public Policy, Meta India; Arun Srinivas, Managing Director and Country Head, Meta India; Shri Bhupendra Patel, Honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat; and Shri Hareet Shukla, Principal Secretary, General Administration Department, Government of Gujarat.
GANDHINAGAR | 25th MAY 2026 | The Government of Gujarat and Meta today announced a strategic partnership that will explore innovation across Artificial Intelligence (AI), next generation wearable technologies, and digital infrastructure to drive inclusive development and citizen-centric governance. The first initiative to go live under the collaboration is signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a WhatsApp based conversational chatbot to deliver citizen services under the Government’s ‘Sugam Digital’ initiative.
Spanning a two-year period, the intended collaboration aligns Gujarat’s progressive vision for technology-driven e-governance with Meta’s commitment to responsible AI innovation, aiming to unlock new social and economic opportunities and transform the lives of citizens across the state.
Speaking on the announcement, Shri Bhupendra Patel, Honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat, stated, “Gujarat has always been a trailblazer in digital adoption and development and our collaboration with Meta marks a significant step in building a robust digital infrastructure for the future. We aim to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies to transform the lives of our citizens ensuring that the benefits reach everyone, creating a transparent and inclusive digitally empowered Gujarat.”
Shri Hareet Shukla, Principal Secretary, General Administration Department, Government of Gujarat, said, “We are committed to making governance even more citizen-centric, efficient, and accessible. Through the Sugam Digital initiative on WhatsApp, we are taking a decisive step towards ensuring that essential government services reach every citizen at their fingertips, even at the last mile – without the need to visit a government office.”
The partnership will focus on three crucial areas – each aimed at ensuring that the promise of AI and emerging technologies translates into real, measurable impact for the people of Gujarat.
MoU on delivering last-mile citizen services through WhatsApp: As part of the ‘Sugam Digital’ initiative by the Government of Gujarat, a WhatsApp-based conversational chatbot will be launched to enhance the state’s e-governance capabilities. Available in Gujarati and English, the chatbot will enable citizens across the state to access 20 critical government services directly via a dedicated WhatsApp number – making governance fast, simple, and accessible. The chatbot will also have voice capabilities ensuring accessibility for citizens across rural and urban areas enabling critical services like, grievance redressal support, income, caste, and EWS certificates, ration card updates, revenue records, and official affidavits, eliminating the need to navigate multiple web portals or wait in physical lines at government offices.
Through a Letter of Intent (LOI) Meta will also collaborate with the Government to drive the state’s AI agenda, including:
Accessibility through Meta AI glasses: In a pioneering move for accessibility and inclusive digital infrastructure, the collaboration outlines a pilot program where Ray-Ban Meta glasses will be used to assist visually impaired citizens. The initiative aims to explore the benefits of AI-powered wearable technology to empower people with disabilities and ensure equitable access to technological advancements across the state.
AI & Digital Skills Training for Creators and SMBs: The partnership will also focus on AI empowerment and digital skilling to strengthen the local economy and digital infrastructure. The initiative intends to deliver comprehensive capacity-building programs designed to equip Gujarat’s creator economy and Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) with Meta’s advanced AI-powered tools. To foster a robust and technologically advanced business ecosystem, the engagement aims to train local entrepreneurs in digital marketing, customer engagement, and business growth.
Arun Srinivas, Managing Director and Country Head – Meta India, said,“Digital transformation and AI have the potential to positively impact the lives of millions of citizens – improving their quality of life, enabling easier access to governance, and equipping small businesses with AI-powered skills. We are seeing that come to life today. WhatsApp’s familiarity and simplicity make it the ideal platform to bring government services closer to citizens, even in the remotest parts of the country. We are proud to partner with the Government of Gujarat to support their vision of making public services more convenient, inclusive, and accessible to every citizen across the state.
Aman Jain, Senior Director & Head of Public Policy, Meta India, said,“Recognizing that true digital transformation must be inclusive, Meta’s AI tools are delivering value to people across the world and have the potential to drive immense societal and economic impact. We are proud to partner with the Government of Gujarat across key areas like accessibility, skilling and citizen services to support their progressive vision of technology-driven governance and remain committed to making innovation more inclusive, and accessible to all.
This strategic alignment marks the beginning of a landmark step to integrate cutting-edge technology into the fabric of public service. As next steps, detailed operational frameworks will be developed to map out how these AI-driven solutions can be implemented effectively, safely, and at scale, potentially setting a new benchmark for technology-enabled governance in India.
