BHUBANESWAR: Odisha received investment proposals worth Rs 43,437 crore with the potential to generate over 43,000 jobs at Odisha Food Pro 2026, the first sector-specific investment roadshow led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in New Delhi on Friday.
The event saw the signing of 27 MoUs involving proposed investments of Rs 41,748 crore to create 35,252 employment opportunities. The state also received 12 Investment Intent Forms (IIFs) worth Rs 1,689 crore with the potential of 8,064 additional jobs.
Addressing industry leaders, Majhi unveiled Odisha’s long-term roadmap for the sector, built around five strategic pillars - developing specialised food processing clusters, expanding integrated cold-chain and warehousing infrastructure, strengthening food quality and certification systems, integrating farmer producer organisations (FPOs), MSMEs and women self-help groups with organised industry and creating a globally competitive skilled workforce.
He said these interventions would position Odisha as a major hub for value-added food manufacturing over the next decade. “The government’s vision is to ensure that every major agricultural and marine product produced in Odisha is processed within the state, creating higher incomes for producers while generating sustainable employment for the youth,” he said.
Highlighting Odisha’s inherent strengths, the chief minister said the state offers a unique combination of abundant raw materials, 10 agro-climatic zones, a 575 km coastline, thriving fisheries, expanding port infrastructure, improving logistics connectivity and one of India’s most investor-friendly policy environments.
“These natural and institutional advantages provide industries with a complete ecosystem from sourcing raw materials to manufacturing, exports and global market access,” he asserted.
Majhi assured that Team Odisha would continue to provide seamless support from project conceptualisation to commissioning through transparent governance, faster approvals and continuous institutional handholding. He said Odisha’s improving investment climate reflects the government’s emphasis on policy stability, execution and investor confidence.
Addressing the gathering, minister for Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education Sampad Chandra Swain said the vision of the government is to transform Odisha into a globally competitive hub for value-added food processing by unlocking the full potential of its agricultural and marine resources.
“Backed by progressive reforms, skilled human capital, world-class infrastructure and responsive governance, Odisha today offers investors not just opportunities, but the confidence to build, innovate and grow for the long-term,” he added.
Chief secretary Anu Garg, additional chief secretary, Industries department, Hemant Sharma, senior state government officials, representatives of ASSOCHAM and over 300 industry leaders, food processing associations, entrepreneurs, investors and business delegates from across the country participated in the event.
The chief minister later held a series of one-on-one meetings with leading industry leaders to discuss project-specific investment opportunities, strategic partnerships and long-term collaboration in food processing and allied sectors.