Odisha’s exports fall over 40% in four years; reliance on minerals leaves state vulnerable

BHUBANESWAR: Amid the changing geopolitical situation, the export performance of Odisha has been on a downward spiral even before the US imposed a 50 per cent (pc) tariff on goods from India this week.

The state, which was among the country’s fastest-growing export hubs a few years back, has been witnessing shipments slide from $17 billion in 2021-22 to just $10 billion in 2024-25, registering a staggering fall of over 40 per cent in four years.$11.22 billion in 2022-23 and $11.93 billion in 2023-24. However, states like Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh consistently performed well in 2024-25 as compared to 2023-24.

The highest exporters – Gujarat and Maharashtra with $116.33 billion and $65.88 billion in 2024-25, respectively have also witnessed a downturn of 13.4 pc and 2 pc, respectively. Odisha accounted for around 2.31 pc of India’s total exports of $437.42 billion and ranked ninth in the last fiscal, down from seventh in 2021-22.A slowdown in Chinese demand, weak steel prices and stringent environmental standards in Europe have eroded Odisha’s market share, they said.

President of seafood exporters’ association Kamalesh Mishra said while other states have diversified into high-value sectors like pharmaceuticals, electronics and engineering goods, Odisha has failed to push beyond its traditional commodities. Limited gains in seafood, textiles and handicrafts have not been enough to cushion the fall, he said.

As per the Ministry of Commerce statistics, exports from Odisha that had surged from $10.23 billion in 2020-21 to $17.06 billion in 2021-22 post-Covid, slumped to $11.22