Imphal: The 16th edition of ‘Meet the Press’, organised by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), was held today at the DIPR Auditorium, Imphal, with the Department of Information Technology (DIT), Government of Manipur, presenting its ongoing initiatives in digital governance, connectivity, cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, innovation, technology skilling and IT/ITeS employment.
G. Robert Sharma, Director of Information Technology, stated that the Department is committed to strengthening digital governance and expanding technology-enabled public services across the State. He said that initiatives in e-Governance, digital connectivity, Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, innovation and IT/ITeS skilling are aimed at creating a secure, efficient and citizen-centric digital ecosystem.
He further said that the Department will continue to strengthen digital infrastructure, promote innovation and entrepreneurship, enhance technology skills among the youth and create greater employment opportunities in the IT/ITeS sector.
He highlighted that the DIT, the State’s nodal department for Information Technology policy, digital governance and communication infrastructure, is implementing various initiatives across all 16 districts with the support of the Manipur State IT Society (MSITS), Cyber Corporation Manipur Limited (CCML) and IIIT Society Manipur.
Under e-Governance and citizen services, he added, eOffice Manipur currently covers 184 Departments, Directorates and undertakings with 5,702 users. He informed that around 1.49 lakh e-files have been created and 42.84 lakh e-files processed. He further stated that e-Seba Manipur Portal has received 5,06,484 applications and issued 4,39,957 certificates, while the Centralized RTI Portal has registered 235 applications as on September 24, 2026.
To strengthen digital connectivity, G. Robert asserted that BharatNet has been activated in 325 Gram Panchayats, with more than 70 % of planned connections established. He added, the Amended BharatNet Programme covers 2,889 Gram Panchayats/villages across the State, while the Right of Way (RoW) Portal has issued 132 permissions for telecom infrastructure.
He emphasised that the Department is promoting Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies through the proposed AI Centre of Excellence, which aims to support 24 AI start-ups, develop 30 AI prototypes/products, implement 10 AI solutions/use cases and create 500 jobs.
Under the World Bank-supported Manipur Infotech eNabled Development (MIND) Project, the Director of IT stated that an AI-enabled Tier-III State Data Centre is being pursued, along with the proposed Manipur Cyber Security Operations Centre, Manipur Computer Incident Response Team and Cyber Security Lab to strengthen cybersecurity, threat monitoring, incident response, training and research.
He further went on to inform about the Cyber Hub Manipur at Mantripukhri that is being developed as a technology, innovation and employment hub. He said that IT Building-II, sanctioned at Rs. 120 crore under PM-DevINE, has achieved 78% physical progress and is targeted for completion by October 31, 2026. The Government is also constructing 56 fully furnished 2BHK residential units at a cost of Rs. 49.82 crore under SASCI to support IT/ITeS professionals, he added.
G. Robert also highlighted that the operational IT Park, Mantripukhri, currently hosts four organisations engaging more than 121 IT professionals. He stated that the proposed Innovation Hub Manipur is planned to support innovators, start-ups, youth and professionals through incubation, mentorship, prototype development, training and innovation activities.
In technology skilling and employment, he explained, the HCLTech TechBee Programme has trained 116 students, of whom 57 have completed training and joined HCLTech as full-time employees while pursuing graduation through partner institutions. The State Government provides sponsorship of Rs. 50,000 per student.
He further informed that the State’s innovation ecosystem has facilitated more than Rs. 9 crore in start-up funding, incubated over 80 start-ups, supported more than 50 legal entities, reached over 6,000 innovators and commercialised more than 35 start-up products.
The initiatives demonstrate the Government of Manipur’s continued efforts to build a secure, resilient and future-ready digital ecosystem, strengthen citizen-centric service delivery, promote innovation and entrepreneurship, and expand technology and employment opportunities across the State, he added.
The programme concluded with an interactive media interaction, during which representatives of the media raised questions on various aspects of the Department’s initiatives. The Director of Information Technology and concerned officials responded to the queries and provided necessary clarifications.
Informatics Officers Lupesh Khaidem, Y. Jateen Singh, K. Vivek Meitei, Herojit Sanjembam and N. Kejit Singh from DIT, along with Estrella Khoisnam, Informatics Officer, CCML, were also present during the Meet the Press session.
