BHUBANESWAR : Odisha is richly endowed with underground resources. As mining continues to be the mother industry of the state, the government is strongly promoting the sector with a clear focus on sustainability and responsible development, additional chief secretary of Industries Hemant Sharma said on Sunday.
Speaking at the valedictory of four-day-long 4th Odisha Mining and Infrastructure International Expo 2026 organised by Futurex Trade Fair and Events Pvt Ltd in association with Laghu Udyog Bharti, Odisha Chamber of Commerce and IPICOL, Sharma said Odisha is in safe hands and the state is now pressing the accelerator towards rapid and inclusive growth. “Several rare earth industries have visited Odisha in the last few months which signals promising outcomes for the state’s industrial future.
The expo reflects a larger vision of employment generation through mining and infrastructure,” he said. CMD of Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL) Sarada Bhusan Mohanty shared his decades-long experience in Odisha, particularly in beach sand mining and rare earth mineral extraction. He stressed that responsible extraction can significantly support advanced technologies, clean energy transitions, employment generation and overall economic growth of Odisha.
Emphasising on the growing national and global focus on critical minerals, the organisers announced that from the next edition onwards, a dedicated ‘Rare Earth Show’ will be organised alongside the expo. Industrialist Dipti Ranjan Patnaik said true entrepreneurship lies in continuous learning and perseverance. He highlighted the ‘5 Ps’- Prarthana,
Prayasta, Pratiksha, Prerna and Pratigya, and said platforms like this international expo foster innovation, collaboration and entrepreneurial excellence. Former CMD of Nalco TK Chand said the expo featuring over 250 participants across 30,000 square metres of exhibition space has set global benchmarks. Chairman of Futurex Group Swami Prem Anweshi, director Namit Gupta, MLA Siddhanta Mohapatra and actor Sabyasachi Mishra also spoke.