The Odisha government has received investment intents of over Rs 26,000 crore during the Odisha Business Meet, 2023 held in Tokyo on Wednesday.
The government of Odisha in association with the Indian Embassy in Japan, the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), hosted the Tokyo meet, which was attended by over 200 delegates, representing various industries from across Japan.
The state has received the investment intents in the sectors like logistics, metal ancillary, steel, metal downstream, green hydrogen and green ammonia, green energy equipment manufacturing and IT/ITeS, officials said.
Addressing the investors, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, said: "Odisha is one of the fastest growing economies in India and has consistently grown above the national average in the last decade and a half.
We are fast emerging as a major industrial destination in India because of our natural resource advantage and strategic location."Odisha's abundant natural resources, skilled and productive human resources, progressive policies, and strong result-oriented governance provide a unique ecosystem, he said.
Patnaik said: "Odisha is ranked among the top states in India in terms of attracting investments and has been accorded the achievers status in the recently released ease of doing business ratings by the Centre."
He also highlighted how the state is becoming the fulcrum of trade and commerce in the Bay of Bengal region and the measures undertaken by his government to help industries looking to cater to the untapped markets in eastern and northeast India as well as markets in ASEAN and East Asia region.
Speaking about industrialisation in this era of technological innovations, the CM said: "As we enter a new era of industrialisation propelled by advancements in technology and a philosophy of sustainability, we require a collaborative effort between the governments, industries and people to ensure consistent growth."
The Chief Minister said Odisha, known for its rich culture and tradition, is transforming into a modern industrial hub.Patnaik said his government is focused on providing the best-in-class facilitation to all investors coming to Odisha.
"We are also deeply committed to protecting our rich cultural history. The renovation and restoration of Buddhist Pilgrimage Sites have been a key agenda of my government. We are transforming sites like Dhauli, Udaygiri, Ratnagiri and Lalitgiri," he added.
The Chief Minister requested all Japanese investors to visit Odisha and experience the change.An MoU for collaboration in the skill development sector was also signed between Nihon-Utkal (NITKAL) and IIIT, Bhubaneswar.
The event also enabled trade and technology transfer-discussions between Odisha business delegation and Japanese companies.Earlier in the day, Patnaik also held one-to-one G2B meetings with a dozen of big investors of Japan.