Bhubaneswar: Describing Odisha as a significant component of India’s growth engine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said this is the right time to make investment in the state as more opportunities are opening up now than ever before.
The Prime Minister was speaking after inugurating the Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave 2025 and Make in Odisha Exhibition at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said this was his second visit to Odisha in the month of January 2025, recalling his visit to inaugurate Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2025 event. Noting that this was the biggest business Summit in Odisha till date, Modi said that there were around 5-6 times more investors participating in Make in Odisha Conclave 2025. He also congratulated the people and the government of Odisha for organising the grand event.
“Eastern India is a growth engine in the development of the country and Odisha plays a key role in this”, exclaimed the Prime Minister. He added that historic data also reveals that the contributions of Eastern India were remarkable when India played a major role in global growth.
Modi noted that there were huge industrial hubs, ports, trade hubs in Eastern India and Odisha’s participation in this was remarkable. “Odisha used to be an important center in South Eastern Asian trade and the ports were a gateway to India”, said the Prime Minister. He added that Bali Yatra is celebrated even today in Odisha. Recalling the recent visit of the President of Indonesia to India, the Prime Minister said that the President’s words that there were probably traces of Odisha in his DNA.
The Prime Minister remarked that Odisha celebrates a legacy which connects it with South East Asia. He added that Odisha had now begun to revive the glorious heritage in the 21st century. He noted that the President of Singapore recently visited Odisha and Singapore was very enthusiastic about its relationship with Odisha. He highlighted that ASEAN countries have also shown interest in strengthening trade and traditional connections with Odisha.
The Prime Minister emphasised that numerous opportunities were opening up in this region, more than ever before since independence. He called upon all the investors present, stating that now is the right time to invest in Odisha’s development journey and assured that their investment would lead to new heights of success.
Noting that India is on a path of development driven by the aspirations of crores of people, Modi said that AI stands for both Artificial Intelligence and Aspiration of India, which is the country’s strength. He said that aspirations grow when people’s needs are met, and the past decade has empowered crores of citizens, benefiting the nation.
The Prime Minister highlighted that Odisha represents this aspiration. He described Odisha as outstanding, symbolising the optimism and originality of New India. He added that Odisha had numerous opportunities, and its people have always shown a passion for outperforming.
Sharing his personal experience of witnessing the skills, hard work, and honesty of people from Odisha in Gujarat, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that with new opportunities emerging in Odisha, the state will soon reach unprecedented heights of development.
He praised Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi and his team for their efforts in accelerating Odisha’s development. The Prime Minister noted that Odisha is becoming one of India’s leading states in various industries, including food processing, petrochemicals, port-led development, fisheries, IT, edutech, textiles, tourism, mining, and green energy.
Underscoring that India was rapidly progressing towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy, the PM said the milestone of a five trillion-dollar economy was not far away. He added that over the past decade, India’s strength in manufacturing had also become evident.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the expansion of India’s economy rests on two major pillars: the innovative service sector and quality products. He emphasized that the country’s rapid progress cannot rely solely on the export of raw materials and therefore, the entire ecosystem was being transformed with a new vision.
Modi mentioned that India was changing the trend of extracting minerals and sending them abroad for product manufacturing and value addition, only to have those products return to India. Similarly, he added that the trend of exporting seafood for processing in other countries was also being changed.
Stressing that value addition must take place in India, Modi said the government was working to ensure that industries related to the resources in Odisha are established within the state.
Modi also pointed to the recent Coldplay concerts in Mumbai and Ahmedabad and said these are evidence of the scope for major live musical events to boost the economy. “Major global artists are attracted to India, and the concert economy boosts tourism and creates numerous jobs. States and the private sector to focus on the necessary infrastructure and skills for the concert economy,” said the Prime Minister.
Stating that India was focusing on green technology and a green future, Modi said Odisha had immense potential in this regard and stated that the country had launched national-level Green Hydrogen and Solar Power Missions. Significant policy decisions were being made to promote renewable energy industries in Odisha, and several steps were being taken for hydrogen energy production, he said.
Alongside green energy, initiatives were being taken to expand the petro and petrochemical sector in Odisha, he said, adding that dedicated industrial parks and investment regions were being developed in Paradip and Gopalpur, indicating significant investment potential in this sector.
Stressing that Odisha plays a significant role in building a developed India, the PM said the people of the state have resolved to build a prosperous state, and the Union government was providing all possible support to achieve this goal. He expressed his affection for Odisha, noting that he had visited the state nearly 30 times as Prime Minister and has been to most of its districts. He emphasised his trust in Odisha’s potential and its people.
The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the investments made by all partners will elevate both their businesses and Odisha’s progress to new heights.
