Varanasi: Members of the Odia community, cultural personalities, professionals, academics and entrepreneurs came together at the Odia Diaspora Meet, organised as part of Odisha Parab 2026 in Varanasi.
The three-day meet, which will conclude on Monday, aims to strengthen cultural, social and economic connect of those who stay away from Odisha with their home state.
The venue of the diaspora meet is Deendayal Hastkala Sankul – Trade Facilitation Centre & Crafts Museum, with the theme being Faith, Culture, Cuisine, Crafts.
Odisha’s deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida attended the programme as chief guest.
Others present as Guests of Honour were Uttar Pradesh minister Anil Rajbhar, Odisha government’s secretary (Odia Language, Literature & Culture department) Dr Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya, Padma Shri Sribhas Chandra Supakar, Varanasi Odia Samaj president Prof. Gopabandhu Mishra and FICCI’s UP Tourism Committee chairperson Prateek Hira.
The second day of Odisha Parab 2026 featured Tourism Investor and Business-to-Government (B2G) interactions, providing a platform for government representatives, investors and industry stakeholders to explore opportunities for collaboration and investment in Odisha.
A Tourism Roadshow showcased Odisha’s diverse tourism potential, highlighting 15 master destinations including Puri, Konark, Ratnagiri, Udayagiri, Lalitgiri, Hirakud, Chilika, Bhitarkanika and Similipal.
The roadshow also highlighted opportunities in eco-tourism, wildlife, adventure and experiential tourism, besides showcasing Odisha’s MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) potential and incentive structure available for tourism investments.
The event reflected broader aspirations of Odisha Vision 2036 and Odisha Vision 2047, with tourism positioned as an important driver of a prosperous, inclusive, sustainable and globally recognised Odisha.