BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday urged the Odia diaspora in Dubai to take part in the transformation Odisha is undergoing by forging strong socio-economic ties with the State government. Discussing the transformational initiatives taking place in Odisha, Naveen sought a strong sense of ownership and dedication to the development of the State. He invited the Odia expats to partner with the initiatives taken up for a transformed Odisha.
“The rapid rise in the number of Odia expats in the UAE and the Middle East signifies the demand of Odia professionals in the region. The Middle East and North Africa region has become one of the destinations of choice for many skilled and highly-skilled Odia professionals,” he said. The diaspora comprised entrepreneurs, researchers, missionaries, artists and professionals from diverse fields such as medicine, engineering, IT, artificial intelligence and business process outsourcing.
President of a Dubai-based large shipping company Captain Soumyaranjan Patnaik said the buzz about Odisha that has been generated in Dubai is good for the State. It will indeed create positive sentiments towards investments. The investors’ meet is definitely a step in the right direction, he added.
A senior non-resident Odia, Priaydarshee Panigrahi, who is the senior general manager of an Indian FMCG multi-national company said, “It was a smart move by Odisha government to get investors like the Jindal group, Hildalco and Vedanta to address the investors meet. Such big names speaking about the State was a very good endorsement at the meet.”
The CM informed the diaspora that a direct flight between Dubai and Bhubaneswar will start soon. The air connectivity to Dubai from Odisha was a long standing demand of Odia community residing there. Naveen has given in-principle approval for a viability gap funding of Rs 100 crore required to operate the flight.
Before interacting with the Odia expats, Naveen started with his iconic dialogue, “Aapan mane khusi toh? (Are you happy?). Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra, Industries Secretary Hemant Sharma and 5T Secretary VK Pandian were also present.