Harssh Poddar is a distinguished Maharashtra cadre IPS officer who exemplifies the shift of Indian policing towards a technology-enabled, citizen-centric, and preventive governance model. His early life was shaped by a keen curiosity about law, public systems, and social order, along with a strong sense of responsibility towards society. Growing up, he observed how institutional effectiveness and community trust directly influenced public safety-an understanding that later became central to his policing philosophy that crime prevention begins long before enforcement.
His educational background is both exceptional and globally rooted, giving him a rare edge in modern policing. A Chevening Scholar, Poddar pursued a law degree from the University of Oxford, where he developed a deep grounding in constitutionalism, rule of law, and democratic governance. He further strengthened his global academic exposure by earning a Master’s degree from Harvard University, specialising in Artificial Intelligence, public policy, and leadership. He also earned academic honours at Harvard, where his work focused on ethical AI, data-driven governance, and institutional innovation. This unique blend of law, technology, and public administration decisively shaped his vision of policing as a knowledge-driven and ethically anchored public service.
Drawing upon this foundation, Poddar became a pioneer of AI-led smart policing in Maharashtra. He played a key role in conceptualising MARVEL (AI Command Hub) which is India’s first state-level AI-driven policing platform designed to integrate multi-source datasets, identify crime patterns, predict hotspots, and enable real-time, evidence-based decision-making. By deploying AI analytics, CCTV intelligence, predictive modelling, and inter-departmental data convergence, MARVEL significantly enhanced cybercrime response, smart investigations, traffic management, and anti-radicalisation efforts, while embedding ethical safeguards, transparency, and academic oversight to protect civil liberties.
At the same time, Poddar firmly believes that technology without community trust is incomplete. Translating this belief into action, he launched the Youth Parliament Championship, an innovative initiative that transformed students into constitutionally aware, socially responsible youth leaders. The programme created over two lakh youth ambassadors across 18 districts, actively countering radicalisation, misinformation, drug abuse, and criminal vulnerability. Complementing this, the Udaan initiative focused on free coaching, career counselling, and mentorship, addressing unemployment and lack of direction—often the hidden drivers of crime.
Through the seamless integration of world-class education, artificial intelligence, youth empowerment, and ethical governance, IPS Harssh Poddar stands out as a forward-thinking architect of future-ready policing. His journey demonstrates that sustainable internal security in a democracy is built through data-driven foresight, empowered citizens, and trust-based law enforcement, where technology amplifies human judgment and communities become partners in public safety.
