Indus Valley Times

By A K Sahoo

Hyderabad, Oct. 17: Inviting top industry leaders at Hyderabad Investors’ Meet today, Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik told them,

“We want to build new relationships and strengthen our old relationships with all of you. We want you all to be a partner in Odisha’s phenomenal growth story. We need your support and cooperation to ensure that this year’s event is grander in outlook and a resounding success in its outcome.”

Odisha, in collaboration with FICCI- the National Industry Partner for Make in Odisha Conclave’22, hosted the Odisha Investors’ Meet in Hyderabad today. After successful roadshows in Mumbai and Bangalore, this was an equally fruitful meet was held today in Hyderabad which witnessed about 40 Government to Business meetings with participation by 350 delegates.

Exhorting the esteemed guests to come and explore Odisha, the hon’ble Chief Minister said, “As we enter into a new era of industrialization propelled by advancements in technology and a philosophy of sustainability, we require a collaborative effort between the government, industry and people to ensure consistent growth.”

Extending warm greetings to the dignitaries, Shri Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister 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. Today, Odisha is ranked among the top states in India in terms of live manufacturing investments and has been accorded the achievers status in the recently released ease of doing business ratings by the Government of India.”

He further said, “The Make in Odisha Conclave’22 with Business Leadership Talks, Sectoral Sessions, Start-up Session, and Women Entrepreneurship Sessions, along with Cultural Programs offers an array of action spread over 5 days for investors and the public.”

Speaking on start-ups, he spoke about the establishment of O-Hub and Odisha Innovation Fund, “We have established Odisha Start-up Hub (O-Hub) in Bhubaneswar to provide a world-class incubation and co-working facility to state-based Startups. We have also set up the Odisha Youth Innovation Fund to support grassroots innovations, which are essentially technological solutions and the development of successful business models by youths in different sectors.”

The  Chief Minister highlighted the states’ two decades of stable governance, its position in the Ease of doing Business ranking, competitive cost of doing business, the impact of investment facilitation, best-in-class incentives, and highly skilled human resources, which helped the state achieve a distinct competitive advantage over others.

 He also talked about the various industrial parks and regions the Government of Odisha had developed to provide best-in-class facilitation to investors across sectors. He mentioned that the markets in Eastern and North-Eastern India were on a faster growth trajectory than other parts of the country and Odisha provides industries with the best facilities to set up units to cater to these markets.

Concluding his address and extending a hearty invitation to the dignitaries attending the meeting Chief Minister said “The Make in Odisha Conclave’22 (MIO’ 22) will be held in Bhubaneswar from 30th November to 4th December 2022. I would request all the dignitaries and Industry leaders present here to kindly participate in Make in Odisha Conclave’22 and be a partner in this transformational journey of Odisha.”

He further said, “MIO’22 aims to provide a platform for industry leaders from across the world to discuss a roadmap for industrial development in the coming years. A humble beginning was made in 2016, which saw a footfall of 18,500 and received over 120 investment intents valued at over Rs. 2 Lakh Crore. In 2018, we hosted the 2nd edition which raised the bar even higher, receiving an influx of 45,000 visitors, and investments worth over Rs. 4 Lakh Crore.”

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Shri Patnaik, met several senior industrialists across sectors to discuss their plans for Odisha and personally invited them to the Make in Odisha Conclave’22. During the discussions, Shri Patnaik highlighted the major pro-business reforms undertaken by his government and asked the industrialists to explore Odisha as a potential destination for their businesses.

Industries, MSME & Energy Minister Shri Pratap Keshari Deb Government of Odisha stressed that under the visionary leadership of our  CM, the state government has taken a Whole-of-Government approach toward service delivery to citizens and businesses. We are today becoming a destination of choice for investors across the country.

Chief Secretary Shri Suresh Chandra Mahapatra welcomed the august gathering and initiated the Odisha Investors’ Meet.

Shri Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary, Industries Department, Skill Development & Technical Education and Chairman-IDCO and Chairman-IPICOL, Government of Odisha, made a presentation about the industrial ecosystem in Odisha and about the Make in Odisha Conclave’22 to the audience.

Shri Manoj Mishra, Secretary, Electronics & IT Department, Government of Odisha, spoke about the emerging IT/ITeS ecosystem in the state. He also highlighted the growth-focused and future-oriented IT Policy, Data Centre Policy, BPO Policy, and Electronics Policy brought in by the Government of Odisha to further strengthen the ESDM and IT/ITeS sector and attract new investments into the state.

Dr Omkar Rai, Executive Chairman, Start-Up Odisha, focused on the ever-growing Start-up ecosystem in Odisha. He informed the audience that Odisha has been recognized as a ‘Top Performer’ and a “Leader” by DPIIT, Government of India in States’ Start-up Ranking 2018 & 2019 respectively.”

Among others,  Shri Arun Chawla, Director General, FICCI and Senior Officials from the industries Department & IPICOL were present.