Odisha unveils mega investment mela
BHUBANESWAR: In the shadow of demonetisation, Odisha on Wednesday unveiled its biggest ever investment summit hoping to lure in investors and turn the State into the manufacturing hub of eastern India.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who formally kicked off the three-day Make in Odisha Conclave at a grand ceremony, expressed hope that the policy eco-system and the investment opportunities showcased in the expo would help attract significant investment into the State.
Participated by 100 companies, Make in Odisha Conclave is expected to put the State back in the investor community’s radar. Having ensured presence of the big names of India Inc in the business meet, the State Government is optimistic that next two days would see the top minds sit together and give a big thumb up to the investment environment of Odisha.
The State is looking to showcase itself as investment destination in sectors including metal, food processing including seafood, chemicals, petrochemicals and plastics, textiles and apparel, defence, electronics, start-ups and tourism. Naveen thanked the industry for “reposing their confidence” in the State and said he is hopeful that investments would generate higher employment for the people. Odisha is one of three States to have hosted an investors’ summit under Make in India.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is scheduled to address a plenary session of the conclave on Thursday while Aditya Birla Group’s Kumar Mangalam Birla, Larsen & Toubro Ltd’s AM Naik, SBI chairperson Araundhati Bhattacharya, Adani Group chief Gautam Adani, Hindustan Coca-Cola Ltd’s T Krishnakumar, Sanjiv Puri of ITC Ltd, Sajjan Jindal of JSW Group, Venugopal Dhoot of Videocon and Director and General of CII Chandrajit Banerji will partcipate in the three-day event.
Earlier, talking to this paper, president of CII Naushad Forbes said such a meet will provide investors a direct window to see the advantage and opportunities Odisha is offering.
The Make in Odisha Conclave will see top Government officers, executives and experts analysing threadbare different focus sectors across a host of seminars and discussions over the next two days. While the participating companies have already put up their stalls, a special defence hangar has been created to showcase India’s missile technology including Agni, Prithvi, Brahmos and Akash as well as Sukhoi aircraft engines manufactured by HAL in Odisha. A laser show and a dance drama capturing the culture of Odisha also followed the inauguration ceremony of Make in Odisha Conclave which is organised in association with Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India and CII.