Tata Power to open Rs 54 crore AI centre in Odisha with 110 jobs

Tata Power plans to set up a global capability centre focused on artificial intelligence in Khordha district, Odisha, with an initial investment of Rs 54.31 crore, according to reports on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. The centre is expected to create 110 high-skill jobs and to work on AI, machine learning, generative AI and agentic AI tools across the electricity business, from monitoring the health of equipment to forecasting demand. A company executive said it should be fully operational within about three months.

A global capability centre, or GCC, is an office a company sets up to do specialised work, such as technology, analytics or engineering, for its wider business. India has become a favoured location for such centres, which have traditionally clustered in a few big cities. A power company putting an AI centre in Odisha shows two shifts at once: AI work spreading into traditional industries such as electricity, and states outside the usual tech hubs competing for these high-skill jobs.

For the power sector, the uses are practical. Asset health monitoring means using sensor data to spot transformers, lines or generators that may fail before they break down. Demand forecasting helps a utility predict how much electricity people will use, hour by hour, so it can buy and schedule supply. Generative AI refers to systems that produce text, code or reports, while agentic AI refers to systems that can carry out a series of tasks with limited human input. Combining these with deep knowledge of how a grid works is a specialised skill.

For young people in Odisha and eastern India, 110 jobs is a modest number, but these are the kind of roles that usually take graduates to Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Pune. The mix of roles also shows what employers want: not only data scientists and AI engineers, but cloud engineers and people who understand the power sector itself. Engineering students in electrical, computer science and data science streams who build skills in both areas may find themselves in demand as more utilities adopt AI.

What to do next: candidates interested in such roles can watch Tata Power's careers page for openings at the Odisha centre, and strengthen skills in Python, machine learning, cloud platforms and the basics of power systems.

Short-term: Hiring for about 110 roles is expected over the next few months as the centre is set up. Local IT infrastructure and office suppliers will also see work.

Long-term: If the centre grows, it could make Odisha a base for energy-technology work and encourage other companies to place specialised teams in the state. It also signals that AI skills combined with domain knowledge in sectors such as power will be valued in the job market.

Who is affected: Engineering and data science graduates, especially in Odisha and eastern India; Tata Power's electricity customers, who could benefit from better forecasting and fewer outages; and the Odisha government, which is trying to attract technology investment.

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