Kusunpur Set to Become Odisha’s First Smart Village | 19 Mar 2026

Why in News? 

Kusunpur village in Kendrapada district of Odisha is set to become the state’s first smart village under a mission‑mode initiative launched by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), marking a major step toward technology‑driven and sustainable rural development.  

Key Points: 

• Project Launch: CSIR, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, initiated the smart village project for Kusunpur, aligning with the broader vision of a “Viksit Bharat @ 2047”. 
• Vision & Objective: The project aims to bring modern technologies and scientific solutions to rural life, improving quality of life and supporting sustainable, resilient village development. 
• Implementation: The initiative includes collaboration between CSIR research institutions, local administration, and implementation partners to introduce practical solutions. 
• Infrastructure Development: Planned interventions include climate‑resilient buildings, community toilets, and comprehensive village planning through CSIR‑CBRI support. 
• Mission Mode Approach: Multiple CSIR research institutions collaborate to implement practical, scalable solutions across various sectors. 
  • CSIR‑Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee 
  • CSIR‑Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar 
  • CSIR‑Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI) 
  • CSIR‑National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) 
  • CSIR‑Structural Engineering Research Centre (SERC) 
  • CSIR‑Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) 
• Rural Empowerment: The project is expected to enhance self‑reliance, sustainable agriculture practices, and quality of life, potentially serving as a model for other rural areas in the state and across India.