BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday said the process has begun to make Odisha a developed state and the growth engine of India’s development in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Purvodaya.
Inaugurating the three-day global trade show Resurgent Odisha-2024, organised by Utkal Chamber of Commerce and Industry Limited (UCCIL), the chief minister said small scale industries and MSMEs are the backbone of Odisha’s economy. Apart from the metal downstream and manufacturing sector, the state government has laid prime focus on agro-based and food processing industries, he said.
“Odisha being an agrarian state with three-fourth of its population dependent on agriculture must balance industrial growth with the needs of its agricultural sector,” he said.
Deputy chief minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo urged industries to focus on value-addition within the state. “The state is heavily dependent on imports despite its abundant natural resources because there is no focus on ancillary and downstream industries in both large and MSME categories,” he said.
He called upon the chief minister to provide land free of cost and charge a lease amount to investors willing to set up industries in Odisha. “It will make the process quicker and the projects would be viable. We have to think out of the box and should walk the talk,” Singh Deo said.
Minister of state for Industries Sampad Chandra Swain highlighted Odisha’s goal to increase its contribution to the country’s exports to 2.5 per cent and eventually reach the third position by 2047.
Chinese Consul General in Kolkata Xu Wei spoke of Odisha’s rapid growth and its rich mineral resources. He stressed the importance of strengthening trade ties between China and India, particularly with the eastern states, stating that the bilateral trade between the two nations currently stood at USD 130 billion.
UCCIL president Brahma Mishra said a white paper based on the findings from the various workshops and seminars held during the event will be prepared and submitted to the state government for consideration.
The three-day conference features panel discussions on investment potential in Odisha, the risks and rewards of innovation, unlocking Odisha’s potential, prospects in the defence sector, logistics and transportation infrastructure, new-generation industrial and export potential.
MSME Minister Gokulananda Mallik, principal secretary Hemant Sharma and Resurgent Odisha-2024 chairman Prabodh Mohanty also spoke.