BHUBANESWAR : Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday embarked on a three-day visit to West Bengal to participate in a major investors’ meet in Kolkata, as part of the state government’s aggressive investment outreach to accelerate industrial growth in Odisha.
The chief minister, accompanied by Industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain and senior officials, will engage extensively with leading business groups and corporate leaders in the neighbouring state through structured sectoral interactions.
On Friday, he will chair three important sectoral roundtables focusing on textiles and apparels, metal downstream and engineering goods and plastics and chemicals, the sectors that have been identified as key drivers of the state’s next phase of industrial expansion, sources in the Industries department said.
On the second day, Majhi will hold a series of meetings with investors in the morning, followed by a high-level roundtable on pharma and medical devices in the afternoon. He is scheduled to return on Sunday.
The Kolkata engagements seek to build on the momentum created by the CM’s earlier investment roadshows and investors’ meets in Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai and other major business centres.
At the Hyderabad roadshow held in December, the state secured investment proposals worth over Rs 67,000 crore, with estimated employment potential of more than 56,000. During the event, 13 MoUs were signed representing around Rs 27,650 crore of investment and nearly 15,900 jobs, while additional investment intents of Rs 39,131 crore were received in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, electronics, IT, textiles and advanced manufacturing.
Prior to the Hyderbad roadshow, the state government also hosted the first Pharma Summit and other major sector-specific events, including the Textiles and Apparels Meet, securing investment intent to the tune of `7,043 crore. In July last year, the state organised the Odisha TEX 2025, the biggest textile summit of eastern India. Officials said the Kolkata programme is aimed at deepening partnerships with eastern India’s business community and positioning Odisha as a preferred investment destination, in line with the government’s vision of achieving ‘Samruddha Odisha, Viksit Bharat’.
Chief secretary Anu Garg, additional chief secretary, Industries Hemanta Sharma, principal secretary to CM Saswata Mishra and private secretary to CM Manoj Sahu are part of the delegation.