BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday invited industry leaders and investors to partner with Odisha in building a chemical and petrochemical hub, pitching its mineral resources, port infrastructure and industrial ecosystem as key advantages for the sector’s expansion.
Addressing the inaugural session of the 14th edition of the India Chem 2026, inaugurated by Union minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers JP Nadda in Mumbai, Majhi pushed Odisha’s ambition to move beyond the traditional mineral-based economy towards a chemical-driven industrial model with greater emphasis on value addition, downstream manufacturing and employment generation.
The chief minister highlighted the strategic importance of Paradip, Gopalpur and Dhamra ports in connecting Odisha’s industrial centres to domestic and international markets. He spoke about the potential of Paradip Petrochemical, Chemicals and Petroleum Investment Region (PCPIR), Indian Oil Corporation’s refinery and petrochemical complex and the plastic park at Paradip to attract investments in polymers, packaging and technical textiles. Majhi identified emerging opportunities in refrigerants, fluorochemicals, green hydrogen and green ammonia at Gopalpur, besides coal-gasification-based projects at Talcher and Lakhanpur.
These initiatives would strengthen domestic manufacturing and expand Odisha’s contribution to India’s chemical and petrochemical value chain, he said.
The chief minister said nearly 200 industrial units had been established in Odisha in less than two-and-a-half years attracting investments of around Rs 3.52 lakh crore. The state has received investment proposals over Rs 22.50 lakh crore of which more than Rs 12.50 lakh crore have been approved by the high-level clearance authority (HLCA).
He also referred to Odisha’s investment outreach in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in September this year which generated proposals worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore. Around Rs 2.10 lakh crore intents are from International Holding Company (IHC) alone with several proposals relating to chemicals, petrochemicals and critical minerals, he said.
The chief minister cited the state’s industrial policy support, infrastructure, skilled workforce and institutional ecosystem. He specifically highlighted the role of the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) and the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Technology (CIPET) in supporting skill development and the sector’s growth.
Participating in a roundtable chaired by Nadda, Majhi positioned Odisha as a potential contributor to India’s long-term chemical industry ambitions. “The state is ready to contribute at scale to the country’s vision of a one-trillion-dollar chemical industry by 2040,” he said.
The chief minister said Odisha is working to facilitate common effluent treatment plants (CETPs), logistics and storage facilities, utility corridors, pipeline connectivity and deep-sea discharge systems, depending on project requirements. He reiterated Odisha’s commitment to extending a “red carpet to red-category industries”, while maintaining transparency, safety and environmental compliance.
“Your success is our success,” he said and urged investors to explore opportunities across Odisha and become partners in the state’s development agenda under the vision of Samruddh Odisha.