By V. Radha, IAS | Additional Chief Secretary, General Administration Department (Services), Government of Maharashtra* 

Every year in Maharashtra, tens of thousands of devotees walk to Pandharpur, making their collective, disciplined march towards Lord Vitthal. The wari pilgrimage—the determined march of the warkaris stands as a powerful expression of shared purpose, quiet resilience, and steady consistency. 

Maharashtra government’s Tech Wari 2.0 mirrors this very spirit. Just as the warkaris undertake a long, purposeful journey step by step, the 9 lakh employees of the state embark on their own wari—a sustained march towards a future-ready government and a skilled, adaptive and knowledge-driven bureaucracy. It was, as its architects described it, “a high-velocity onboarding of an entire government into the future.”

From 4th to 8th May 2026, technologists, policy leaders, artists, wellness practitioners and domain experts from across the private sector, government and civil society will arrive at Mantralaya — not to attend a meeting, but to teach, share and inspire. Over six thousand employees will participate in person and 9 lakh employees will do so through live streaming. Why should any employee, no matter the designation, be left out of the conversation?

35 Lakh Hours in One Week

In April 2026, as part of Maha-Sadhana Saptah — a state-wide learning drive conducted from 2nd to 8th April — over 8.8 lakh government employees completed a minimum of four hours of structured learning on the iGOT Karmayogi platform. The course list was carefully curated - from Artificial Intelligence and cybersecurity to law and public policy - each delivered by leading experts from their sectors.. In seven days, Maharashtra’s government employees clocked a staggering 35 lakh hours of immersive learning — tracked in real time on a live dashboard and recognition badges awarded by the Capacity Building Commission. 

What is distinctive about Tech-Wari 2.0 is that the learning comes to the employee, not the other way around. Over five days at Mantralaya, expert sessions cover Digital Governance, Quantum Computing, Cybersecurity, Ethics in Governance among others.

Chief Minister Mr. Devendra Fadnavis — who has made employee development a centrepiece of his governance agenda — and Chief Secretary Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, himself a technologist, have made it a priority for the state.

A Global Challenge, A Local Response

UNESCO noted as recently as 2025 that fewer than half the world’s countries have integrated AI into their e-government strategies. Governments around the world — Singapore with its decade-long SkillsFuture movement, the UAE’s Chief AI Officers across federal agencies, Estonia’s Digital State Academy — are all grappling with the same question: how do you prepare a large public workforce for a rapidly changing digital world?. This challenge is not unique to Maharashtra or India. The whole world is still finding its way, and Maharashtra, shaped by its own scale and circumstances, is part of that search. 

More Than Technology

Tech-Wari carries a deeper conviction: that learning cannot be purely technical. The holistic development of our workforce also remains a key aspect. For this reason meditation, yoga, mindfulness, music and art are integrated into the programme. It explores the intersection of art, AI and governance. 

The programme’s design reflects a belief that a government officer who is mentally well, culturally grounded, and professionally confident will serve citizens better than one trained only in compliance. Progress, the programme insists, must remain rooted in values.

The Road Ahead

The 35 lakh hours of learning generated during Maha-Sadhana Saptah are not an administrative statistic. They are hours that will, over time, translate into better decisions, faster grievance redressals, and a better experience of the government for the people of Maharashtra. There is much still to do. Other states, other countries are further along parts of this journey, and there is much to learn from them. But the direction is clear, the momentum is real, and the commitment is visible. As the wari pilgrim walks — step by step, towards a destination that is both a place and a promise — so too does Maharashtra’s government workforce walk this learning journey. Tech-Wari 2.0 is not a destination. It is the next step.

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