Odisha rolls out comprehensive data policy to drive governance reforms

The Odisha State Data Policy 2026 proposes centralised warehousing, consent management and advanced analytics to strengthen governance, privacy protection and public service delivery

As supply disruptions leading to soaring crude oil prices continue to strain India's economy, Odisha has embraced a new-age resource — data, often described as “the new oil” — to drive governance, growth and public service delivery.

 

With the rollout of a new data policy that lays down an ambitious framework for governance-driven data management, administrative efficiency, interoperability, privacy protection and centralised analytics infrastructure, Odisha has emerged as a frontrunner in adopting robust, secure and citizen-centric data governance practices in the country.

 

According to the Odisha State Data Policy (OSDP) 2026, reviewed by Business Standard, the state seeks to create a unified state-wide data governance architecture covering the entire lifecycle of government data — from collection and storage to sharing, archival and destruction.

 

Unlike earlier state-level data governance frameworks in India that largely focused on open-data access and departmental digitisation, Odisha’s new policy aims to build an integrated and legally compliant data ecosystem with provisions for data ownership, consent management, API governance, cross-border data-transfer safeguards, role-based access control and centralised data warehousing.

 

The policy proposes the creation of the Odisha Data Warehouse Portal (ODWP), envisioned as a centralised repository integrating datasets from various departments, agencies and autonomous bodies with analytical and business-intelligence capabilities. The warehouse will support online analytical processing, standardised APIs, dashboards and metadata-driven analytics to facilitate real-time governance and evidence-based policymaking.

 

Vishal Kumar Dev, additional chief secretary of the Electronics and IT Department, said data is the next strategic asset for efficient governance and economic growth. Odisha is strengthening its digital data infrastructure to create a robust system for collecting, storing, sharing and using data. The new policy provides clear guidance on managing data from government departments, organisations and institutions, ensuring citizen privacy while enabling evidence-based decision-making, he said.

 

The state government has introduced a hybrid data-mart architecture under the policy. As provisioned, departments will retain ownership of their datasets while integrating them with a centralised state data warehouse. The policy says this will balance departmental flexibility with state-wide data consistency and interoperability.

 

The policy also proposes a federated ownership model in which individual departments remain data owners while the central ODWP authority functions as custodian responsible for infrastructure, integration and enforcement of standards. The datasets have been classified into open-access, registered-access and restricted-access categories. Sensitive data, including health, law-enforcement, governance and mining-related information, will remain restricted, while anonymised datasets may be shared for research and innovation purposes.

 

A major feature of the policy is its elaborate consent-management architecture. It emphasises explicit, informed and revocable consent before collection or sharing of personal data, including granular opt-in and opt-out mechanisms, parental consent for minors and separate consent for sensitive personal information.

 

The policy also mandates AES-256 encryption, multi-factor authentication, audit logs and rapid cyber-breach reporting protocols aligned with CERT-In norms. Departments have been directed to publish non-sensitive datasets on the state open-data portal within 30 days of collection, conduct periodic re-identification risk audits, and maintain historical versions of datasets for audit trails.

 

OSDP-2026 has been designed to protect sensitive information, prevent unauthorised access and safeguard data integrity. The state government will develop and implement an incident-response plan to effectively respond to data-security incidents, breaches or cyberattacks. Robust verification methods such as multi-factor authentication will be put in place to prevent unauthorised access.

 

Odisha has also proposed the appointment of a “Data Ombudsman” to resolve grievances related to privacy violations, data-access disputes, consent mismanagement and inter-departmental conflicts. Data experts said this is a good initiative, as such a quasi-judicial mechanism is uncommon among existing state data policies and could become a model for future governance structures.

 

Compared with other states, Odisha’s framework is broader in institutional architecture and technical detailing. Karnataka’s open-data initiatives and Tamil Nadu’s safe-data policy primarily focus on innovation ecosystems and responsible use, while Telangana’s data-exchange frameworks are centred around digital governance and service-delivery integration.

 

Similarly, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have developed departmental digitisation systems and data exchanges, but Odisha’s policy stands out for combining centralised warehousing, federated governance, consent architecture, audit standards and grievance redressal under a single framework.

 

Officials said the policy would help reduce duplication of records, improve beneficiary identification, enhance transparency and strengthen disaster-response systems through geospatial and real-time analytics. The government has identified tourism and heritage, mining, agriculture, healthcare, logistics, ports and sports, disaster resilience, energy transition and tribal welfare as priority sectors for data-driven governance.

 

“The policy has been aligned with the vision and goals outlined in Viksit Odisha (Vision 2036 and 2047), which provides a long-term roadmap for the state’s development across key sectors. It will support evidence-based planning, better coordination across departments and more effective public-service delivery, besides ensuring that it contributes meaningfully to the state’s overall growth and transformation,” Dev added.

 

The Odisha Computer Application Centre (OCAC) under the Electronics and Information Technology Department will act as the nodal agency for implementation of the policy across departments, PSUs and government bodies.