Odisha aims to be industrial powerhouse, narrow gap with TN, Guj, Maha: CM Majhi
BHUBANESWAR: After emerging as a top performing state in eastern India in the NITI Aayog’s Investment Friendliness Index (IFI), Odisha now aims to narrow the gap with country’s long-established industrial power houses like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa in the west and Tamil Nadu in the south, said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday.entrepreneurs. Our goal is not just development of the industrial sector but to place Odisha among the top five states in terms of economic growth.”
He lauded the industrialists, attributing the development in the state in the last two years to their cooperation. “We have worked very hard to attract investments to Odisha. Our government believes in action, not just words. We had promised investments worth Rs 5 lakh crore in five years but in just two years, we have already crossed Rs 3 lakh crore,” Majhi said.He said Odisha is the only state from eastern and northern India to feature among the country’s top five investment-friendly destinations.
“Odisha’s industrialisation began much later than Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu but the state is progressing at a significantly faster pace,” the chief minister said, stating that the government intends to sustain the momentum and multiply investment several-fold over the next five years.
Speaking to industry leaders, who felicitated him at Lok Seva Bhawan and described the recognition as an endorsement of the state’s rapid industrial transformation, Majhi said, “The NITI Aayog report is very encouraging for us. It has boosted the morale of Team Odisha and theIn the last two years, we have inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 152 projects worth Rs 3.11 lakh crore. This has created employment opportunities for 2.50 lakh youth. We are working with a focus on industrialisation and increasing employment opportunities in every district,” the CM said.
Industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain said the ranking reflected the investors’ growing confidence in Odisha. “The state has moved beyond being viewed as a land of potential to becoming a destination delivering tangible industrial outcomes,” he added.