Maldives NBS signs MoU with Wipro to develop AI chatbot for national statistics

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) signed a memorandum of understanding with Wipro Limited on 12 December 2026 to develop an artificial intelligence chatbot. The agreement, titled “National Statistics Bureau and Wipro Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Project,” was signed at the NBS office. Under the MoU, the NBS and Wipro will develop an AI chatbot that uses national statistical information to answer public inquiries in both Dhivehi and English. The NBS said the chatbot will make information more accessible through modern technology. It will be launched through the NBS website and mobile application, with Wipro providing the technology and expertise required. The NBS identified the signatories as its President, Ali Shiham, and Wipro Limited’s Senior Vice President for South Asia, Sandeep Khosla. The MoU is part of efforts to promote the digital transformation of national statistics. The NBS said statistics play an important role in government planning and decision-making, and that modernizing information services would make it easier for the public to access statistics accurately, quickly and transparently. The chatbot will answer questions on population, economy, health, education and social services. National statistics are important for national planning and policy-making. The NBS is responsible for collecting, analyzing and publishing official statistics, and provides information on population, economy, society, health, education, environment and other areas. The NBS Portal, launched in 2022, makes national statistics available to the public and includes data on population, economy, health, education, environment, employment and social development, accessible in Dhivehi and English. Under the agreement, Wipro will provide IT support, AI technology, cloud services and data analysis tools. The NBS said the technology would improve accessibility of statistics through digital services. It also noted public dissatisfaction with the portal’s search function. The NBS said it currently receives about 10,000 monthly visits from users in more than 60 countries. The chatbot will be developed using Wipro’s AI technology. Wipro has been named one of the world’s leading IT companies, providing services in 60 countries. The NBS said the chatbot would answer public queries in Dhivehi and English and enable quick, accurate retrieval of statistics. The NBS is among the first government institutions in the Maldives to implement measures against deepfake content. It said national statistics could be used by malicious actors to create misleading or fake information, and that such content could cause significant harm. The NBS said deepfake technology poses a serious threat to national security and that it has taken steps to protect the integrity and accuracy of national statistics. The government would continue to raise awareness about deepfake content. The NBS said the MoU was signed under the “Maldives Digital Transformation Strategy.” The project, titled “National Statistics Bureau Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Project,” will include AI, machine learning and natural language processing, and will be developed and implemented by a team of specialists from both organizations. Wipro will also provide technology and expertise to improve NBS digital services. The project is expected to be completed in 2026 and will provide users with quick access to national statistics in Dhivehi and English through a mobile application. The NBS Portal provides official national statistics to the public, including information on population, economy, health, education, environment, social development, employment and housing. It was launched in 2022 and will continue to be updated to meet user needs and ensure accessibility.