Bhubaneswar/Mumbai: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi highlighted the Odisha’s rich maritime heritage and its ambitious vision for the future during India Maritime Week 2025 which began in Mumbai on Monday.
The Chief Minister, a guest of honour at the high-profile event, expressed pride in the state’s display at the Odisha Pavillion, which traced the state’s historical maritime journey—when its sailors fostered trade and cultural exchange across distant shores—to its present-day advancements in world-class ports, robust coastal infrastructure, and growing investments in the blue economy.
The Odisha Pavilion at the event showcased the state’s strategic location, progressive port policy, and integrated approach to maritime development, positioning the state as a key hub in India’s eastern maritime corridor.
Majhi emphasised the state’s commitment to honouring its maritime legacy while building a modern, sustainable, and globally connected future for Odisha’s blue economy. The display underscored Odisha’s potential to lead in maritime trade and development, aligning with national efforts to strengthen India’s coastal economy.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister referred to the ambitious shipbuilding cluster proposed to be set up at a cost of Rs 24,700 crore in Kendrapada.
The proposed shipbuilding cluster will come up on Mahanadi riverbank in Kendrapara.
The project will have one or more large shipyards with a combined capacity of 1 to 1.2 million gross tonnage (GT) per year. A dedicated waterfront of 2-2.5 km and a land area of 2,000-2,500 acres are among the key components of the shipbuilding cluster.
Ancillary industries including engine manufacturing, steel fabrication and equipment suppliers will be set up at the cluster.
Majhi also mentioned about the greenfield deep-sea satellite port proposed to be established at Bahuda in Ganjam district with an investment of Rs 21,500 crore.
A tri-partite agreement has been signed between the Odisha Maritime Board (OMB), Paradip Port Authority (PPA) and Sagarmala Finance Corporation (SFC) at a maritime event at Bhavnagar in Gujarat recently for establishment of the all-weather port at Bahuda.
The proposed port will come up on around 5,000 acres of land at Bahuda and it will function as a satellite port of Paradip deep-sea port, said Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain in a social media post today.
The new port will have the capacity to handle 150 million tonnes of cargo in a year, he added.
Apart from the major port at Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha has two non-major ports at Dhamra in Bhadrak and Gopalpur in Ganjam.
The proposed deep-sea port at Bahuda will be the second port in Ganjam district.
Stating that Odisha hopes to handle 33% of total cargo in India, up from the current 13%, the Chief Minister said the state is set to develop 8 new non-major ports in addition to the existing Dhamra and Gopalpur ports
“Visited the Odisha Pavilion at #IndiaMaritimeWeek2025 and witnessed an impressive display showcasing the State’s remarkable maritime journey, when our sailors navigated distant shores fostering trade and cultural exchange, to the present day marked by world-class ports, robust coastal infrastructure, and expanding investments in the blue economy. Odisha’s strategic location, progressive port policy, and integrated approach to maritime development are positioning the State as a leading hub in India’s eastern maritime corridor. Our vision is to honour the legacy of our maritime heritage while steering a modern, sustainable, and globally connected future for Odisha’s blue economy”, Majhi said in a post on X.
On the sidelines of IMW, CM Majhi interacted with a host of industry and business leaders and discussed investment potential in the state. He met Ketan Mody, Executive Director, and senior leaders from Reliance Consumer Products Ltd.
The Chief Minister also met Kamlesh Jain, Chairman, Jain Metals. The company’s upcoming Titanium Metal & Titanium Dioxide plant in Ganjam, recently approved by HLCA, was discussed.