In accordance with the deal, almost 4.5 crore individuals in the state would receive all governmental services through a single WhatsApp chatbot.

The state government of Odisha announced a partnership with Meta on Friday to provide citizen-centric services on a single platform, allowing people to access vital public services by contacting a WhatsApp number. The deal calls for the creation of a single WhatsApp chatbot that would provide all governmental services to the state's over 4.5 crore residents. This chatbot will allow users to use a single WhatsApp number to access essential government services, licenses, certifications, and rewards.

People will be able to access vital services like birth, death, legal heir, residence and income certificates, driver's licenses, and incentive programs like national family benefits and intercaste marriage benefits thanks to the unified WhatsApp chatbot, which will combine 429 government services into a single number.

In the presence of Development Commissioner Anu Garg and Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, the Centre for Modernizing Government Initiative (CMGI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Meta India on behalf of the state government. There are currently four ways to obtain any public service in Odisha: through assisted service (by going to a common service center), visiting offices (offline), using the department's website, or logging into a specific mobile app (if available) for a particular service.

According to Ravi Garg, director of business messaging for Meta in India, WhatsApp's user-friendliness and convenience of use make it a popular option for those who want to accomplish anything from staying in touch with loved ones to conveniently accessing public services.