Over 300 Business Delegates Turn Up At Odisha Investors’ Meet in Kolkata

Bhubaneswar: At least 320 delegates from industries turned up and around 70 closed-door (G2B) meetings were held at Odisha Investors’ Meet in Kolkata on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, Pratap Keshari Deb Minister of Industries, MSME & Energy, said, “I am here to invite you all to explore Odisha from an investment perspective. I would like to reinforce the fact that Odisha is now ready, our juggernaut is now flagged off and we have taken off on a journey towards excellence. Under the visionary leadership and pro-industry approach of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Odisha is becoming a major industrial hub in India, by mastering the art of dovetailing economic prosperity with inclusive growth.”

Stating that the metal sector has been an inherent strength of Odisha due to its natural resource advantage, he said the state government has taken proactive measures to broaden the industrial ecosystem. “We have many marquee companies like IOCL, IFFCO, Aditya Birla Fashion, Jockey, Parle Agro, Britannia, and ITC among others, who have set up large manufacturing and service units in the state, attracted by the availability of raw materials, trained and skilled manpower and low of cost of doing business in the state,”” he added.

The minister said in terms of logistics and connectivity, with a 480-km coastline and 3 large ports at Paradip, Gopalpur and Dhamra, Odisha is connected to the global shipping lanes and is the gateway to new markets in South and East Asia. Odisha is also a power-surplus state and has an abundance of water resources. “In terms of the provision of utilities for investors, we can claim that we are one of the best in the country.”

Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra the Make in Odisha Conclave 2022 at Bhubaneswar attracted investments worth more than Rs 10 lakh crore in various sectors. From a predominantly agrarian economy to being the industrial hub of the east, the past two decades have been the story of the rise of Odisha, he added.

“The state, with continuous support from its industry partners, has been able to build a robust industrial infrastructure and a flourishing industry setup. Today we are joined by leaders and entrepreneurs from sectors like metals, chemicals, plastics, petrochemicals, textile & apparel, and tourism among others. These traditional sectors, along with multiple new age sectors are being actively promoted by the government.

Kalyan Charan Mohanty, Executive Director, IPICOL and Pradeep Sureka, former president of ICC also spoke at the meet organised by the Odisha Government in collaboration with the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Principal secretary, Industries Department, Hemant Kumar Sharma met some of the corporate captains from Kolkata during G2B meetings.

The meeting powered by the presence of the Minister as well as his bureaucrats ensured response from at least 320 delegates from Kolkata and around 70 closed-door (G2B) meetings with clear investment intent in Odisha. A video on Industrial Ecosystem of Odisha was screened for all the participating industrialists.

Ondustrialists including Ashish Anupam, Managing Director, Tata Steel Long Products Ltd (TSPL); Dhananjay Sahoo, general manager, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and Shishir Jalan, president, Indian Plastic Federation, projected three different industry testimonials.