Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Indian Chamber of Commerce hosted Odisha Investors’ Meet at Kolkata

Kolkata:21/1/23: The Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) hosted Odisha Investors’ Meet at Kolkata.

The meeting was led by a delegation comprising Industries Minister Pratap Keshari Deb, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra and Industries Secretary Hemant Kumar Sharma who met some of the corporate captains from Kolkata during G2B meetings held in Kolkata today.

After the massive success achieved in the MIO Conclave 2022, Odisha Investors’ Meet held in Kolkata further shows the government’s commitment towards drawing more investment from neighbouring states like Bengal. Prior to the MIO Conclave, the government had organized roadshows in Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad and other cities where they had witnessed impressive participation.

The delegates were welcomed by Pradeep Sureka, Immediate Past President – ICC.

The meeting powered by the presence of the Minister as well as his bureaucrats ensured response from at least 320 delegates from Kolkata and around 70 closed-door (G2B) meetings with clear investment intent in Odisha. A video on Industrial Ecosystem of Odisha was screened for all the participating industrialists.

Hemant Sharma took the attendees through a presentation on business ecosystem of Odisha. Alongside ministers and government officials, the meet was also graced by industrialists who had previously invested in Odisha and have reaped favorable results.

Illustrious industrialists like Ashish Anupam, Managing Director, Tata Steel Long Products Ltd (TSPL), Dhananjay Sahoo, General Manager – Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Shishir Jalan, President – Indian Plastic Federation, projected three completely different industry testimonials.

Addressing the esteemed guests, Pratap Keshari Deb said, “I am pleased to visit Kolkata and be amongst the most vibrant and entrepreneurial businessmen and women in the country. The city has been the motherland of trade and commerce for generations and has always been a hub of Industrial Manufacturing and Services. Our people have been migrating across borders for jobs, education, healthcare, tourism, trade, and other purposes forever. And hence, I am here to invite you all to come and explore Odisha from an investment perspective as well. I would like to reinforce the fact that Odisha is now ready, our Juggernaut is now flagged-off and we have taken off on a journey towards excellence. Under the visionary leadership and pro-industry approach of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik, Odisha is becoming a major industrial hub in India, by mastering the art of dovetailing economic prosperity with inclusive growth.

Suresh Chandra Mahapatra started off with extending the warmest greetings to all the government officials who were present at the meet along with the entrepreneurs and industry leaders.

He said, “At the outset, I would like to thank you all for accepting our invitation and joining us to hear the Odisha Story of Industrial Growth and also explore the humongous potential that the state offers for every businessman in this room. As you must be aware, the Government of Odisha recently organized its Flagship Investor Meet, the Make in Odisha Conclave’22 from 30th Nov – 04th Dec 2022 at Bhubaneswar. The conclave was attended by more than 18,000 industry delegates and as mentioned by my colleague, attracted investments worth more than Rs. 10 lakh crore from across the country and various sectors. From a predominantly agrarian economy to being the Industrial Hub of the East, the past two decades have been the story of the rise of Odisha, a rise that’s yet to hit its peak.

The state, with continuous support from its industry partners, has been able to build a robust industrial infrastructure and a flourishing industry setup. Today we are joined by leaders and entrepreneurs from sectors like Metals, Chemicals, Plastics, Petrochemicals, Textile & Apparel, and Tourism among others. These traditional sectors, along with multiple New Age Sectors are being actively promoted by my Government. The state is taking further steps for value addition in these sectors. One such initiative is the “Skilled in Odisha” program, which has become a brand in itself. The state is looking at broad-basing the industrial presence and driving sustainability of the industrial landscape.As many as 20 sectors have been identified under Priority and Thrust Sector Categories in the IPR 2022, which means the state is ready to host and accommodate all futuristic industrial establishments.

After extending thanks to all the delegates, Kalyan Charan Mohanty, Executive Director – IPICOL urged everyone to explore Odisha for future investment and expansion plans. He also assured all of the continuous hand-holding support from the government, from allocation of land to getting necessary clearances to providing factory gate availability of power and water, and also ensuring a successful operation post setting up in Odisha.