Gujarat govt taps Meta for AI-led governance push, digital citizen services on WhatsApp

Meta has partnered with the Gujarat government to roll out a WhatsApp-based chatbot for citizen services and explore the use of AI-powered smart glasses for visually impaired citizens, as the social media giant deepens its push into India’s digital governance ecosystem. 

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The two-year collaboration will focus on launching a conversational chatbot under Gujarat’s ‘Sugam Digital’ initiative. The chatbot, available in Gujarati and English, will allow citizens to access government services directly through WhatsApp. 

The chatbot will support around 20 government services, including grievance redressal, income and caste certificates, ration card updates, revenue records and affidavits. It will also include voice capabilities aimed at improving accessibility across rural and urban areas. 

“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," Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel said.

The partnership comes at a time when state governments experiment with AI-powered governance tools and chat-based platforms to make public services faster and easier to access. 

“We are committed to making governance even more citizen-centric, efficient, and accessible,” Hareet Shukla, Principal Secretary, General Administration Department, Government of Gujarat, said.

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“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.” 

Beyond citizen services, Meta and the Gujarat government are also exploring AI-powered wearables and skilling programmes.

As part of the collaboration, the company plans to pilot Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to assist visually impaired citizens. 

The partnership will also include AI and digital skills training programmes for creators and small businesses in Gujarat. Meta said the effort would focus on training entrepreneurs in areas such as digital marketing, customer engagement, and AI-powered business tools. 

“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,” Arun Srinivas, Managing Director and Country Head, Meta India, said.

“We are proud to partner with the Government of Gujarat to support their vision of making public services more convenient, inclusive, and accessible.”