Bhubaneswar: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced a series of targeted initiatives in the Union Budget that position Odisha as a key beneficiary in India’s push for sustainable infrastructure, critical minerals development, and eco-tourism.
National Waterway-5 to Anchor Green Cargo Movement
“To promote environmentally sustainable movement of cargo, I propose to operationalise 20 new National Waterways (NWs) over the next 5 years, starting with NW-5 in Odisha,” Sitharaman stated in her Budget speech.
The National Waterway-5 in Odisha will link mineral-rich areas such as Talcher and Angul to industrial hubs like Kalinganagar, while providing efficient connectivity to major ports at Paradip and Dhamra. The move is expected to improve logistics efficiency, reduce carbon footprint, and support industrial expansion across the region.
To support this expansion, training institutes will be upgraded into Regional Centres of Excellence to build skilled manpower for inland water transport. The initiative is expected to generate new employment opportunities and skill development for youth along the corridor, aligning with the broader goal of promoting sustainable cargo movement.
Dedicated Rare Earth Corridor For Odisha
In the critical minerals sector, the Budget builds on the Rare Earth Permanent Magnets scheme launched in November 2025 by proposing dedicated Rare Earth Corridors in mineral-rich states, including Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. “We now propose to support the mineral-rich states of Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to establish dedicated Rare Earth Corridors to promote mining, processing, research and manufacturing,” the Finance Minister announced.
These corridors will promote integrated activities across mining, processing, research, and manufacturing of rare earth elements vital for electronics, renewable energy, and advanced technologies.
For Odisha, with its abundant mineral resources, the measure is anticipated to attract fresh investments, strengthen the domestic value chain, and reduce reliance on imports for these strategic materials.
“This will unlock India’s potential in rare earth minerals, strengthen indigenous capacities in critical minerals, boost self-reliance and create unprecedented economic opportunities for our youth across a variety of sectors, including clean energy, electronics, defence and electric mobility,” Union Minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan posted on X.
Turtle Trails to Boost Eco-Tourism and Conservation
As part of a wider push for wildlife and nature-based tourism, the Budget outlined the development of Turtle Trails along key nesting sites in coastal Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala. “India has the potential and opportunity to offer world-class trekking and hiking experiences. We will develop ecologically sustainable Turtle Trails along key nesting sites in the coastal areas of Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala,” Sitharaman emphasised.
In Odisha, the trails will centre on globally significant rookeries such as Gahirmatha Beach and Rushikulya River mouth. The initiative will balance conservation of sensitive coastal ecosystems with livelihood creation for local communities through guided viewing, awareness programmes, and related services.
Experts view these measures as steps toward positioning Odisha as a hub for green logistics and eco-tourism.
