Singapore/Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is on a four-day visit to Singapore, on Monday met his Singaporean counterparts to explore collaborations in petrochemicals, chemicals, infrastructure, and logistics sectors.
The focus was on key sectors of industrial growth and skill development.
Jurong Island visit
The second day for the delegation led by the CM and Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain began with a detailed tour of Surbana Jurong Petrochemicals Complex with world-class infrastructure, which has made Surbana Jurong a global leader in petrochemical processing.
According to a CMO release, this visit is particularly significant as Odisha, positioned on India’s eastern seaboard, is fast emerging as a key investment destination in the Bay of Bengal region for petrochemicals and chemicals. By leveraging insights from Singapore’s petrochemicals ecosystem, Odisha aims to further enhance its own Petroleum, Chemicals, and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) at Paradip. “As the Chief Minister of Odisha, witnessing the world-class infrastructure at Jurong Petrochemicals Complex is truly inspiring. Odisha, strategically located on India’s eastern seaboard, is rapidly emerging as a premier investment destination in the Bay of Bengal region, especially in petrochemicals. The developments at Paradip and other port-based hubs are key drivers for this growth,” he said.
G2G Meetings
Following the tour of Jurong Island, the CM met Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade & Commerce Gan Kim Yong and apprised him about the rich maritime history of Odisha and Boita Bandāna. He extended an invitation to Singaporean companies through the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office to explore opportunities in Odisha, and assured him a smooth and supportive investment experience.
The CM pushed for joint efforts in green energy, technology, and industries during his meeting with senior Minister of State, Foreign Affairs of Singapore Sim Ann. He mentioned about active cooperation of the Government of Singapore and ITEES in establishing World Skill Centre in Odisha and termed it as “a shining example of successful partnership”. He expressed the need for more such partnerships in the field of ‘Urban Mobility’, ‘Green Shipping Corridor and Chemicals and Petrochemicals Complex’.
According to a CMO release, both leaders expressed their intent to boost ties in trade, culture, and strategy between Odisha and Singapore. They focussed on heritage, tourism, and people-to-people partnerships. “The Singapore Minister recognised the role of Odia professionals in enriching Singapore’s diversity. Both the leaders converged on the need to collaborate on climate, digital growth, and sustainable futures. They agreed to make plans for innovation and investments to drive mutual growth,” it added.
The delegation invited the Deputy Prime Minister and the senior minister to visit to Odisha for the Utkarsh Odisha: Make in Odisha Conclave 2025.
The Chief Minister also held a one-to-one meeting with Chief Fintech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Sopnendu Mohanty to discuss about innovations in the fintech sector, especially from the perspective of Odisha’s growing economy. The day ended with a formal discussion with the travelling business delegation from Odisha regarding business-to-business partnerships between Singaporean and Odia firms, the release said.
“Odisha’s focus on industrial growth is complemented by our commitment to skill development. We are dedicated to expanding this partnership, enhancing training programme, and ensuring our youth are equipped with the skills necessary to meet the demands of a global workforce,” Industries Minister emphasised.
Majhi is leading the high-level delegation to Singapore, his first foreign visit after assuming the office in June, to showcase Odisha as a preferred investment destination. This is part of the government’s overseas outreach for the upcoming summit in January next year.
Next two days pivotal…
During the next two days the CM will engage in one-on-one meetings with investors and industry associations to discuss potential collaborations. The delegation will also be meeting the Odia diaspora in Singapore to seek their inputs and support to take Odisha to the next level. “These engagements are expected to further boost Odisha’s reputation as a premier investment hub in India,” it added.
Day 1
On Sunday, the CM met several industrialists in the island country and urged them for strategic collaborations with Odisha, which is emerging as one of the best investment destinations of India. He met chairman of Orind Singapore Pte Ltd Ravin Jhunjhunwal, who is looking to invest in the bio-fertilizers sector, and requested him to set up a facility in Odisha. He also held discussions with promoter of Visa Group Ltd Vivek Agarwal and urged him to expand capacity, increase value-added products and create more employment in the state in the steel and ferro-chrome sectors.
During his meeting with Founder, CT Metrix, Dr Edward Morton, Majhi discussed developments in the IT/ITeS, Semiconductors, Medical Equipment Manufacturing and Smart City Solutions and assured that the Odisha Government will take all proactive measures to ensure development of a robust Electronics Ecosystem in the state. He also invited Morton to visit Odisha and explore the business opportunities the state offers.
The delegation also visited Sembcorp Industries Ltd, where Majhi met group president and CEO Wong Kim Yin and discussed its upcoming green ammonia project in Odisha.
