In the run-up to the Make in Odisha Conclave 2018, the Government of Odisha on Thursday organised an investment promotion roadshow in Ahmedabad to attract investors.

A panel discussion on competitive advantages of Odisha as an investment destination was also organised with Odisha Finance Minister Shashi Bhusan Behera, industries secretary Sanjeev Chopra interacting with representatives from Adani Group, Welspun Group and Manpasand Beverages Ltd.

Mr Chopra explained the recently launched single window clearance portal for investors called GO SWIFT, the low cost of doing business in the state, dedicated sector-specific clusters and 1,00,000 acres of land bank available for industrial development.

The delegation also formally invited Gujarat-based industrialists to participate in Make in Odisha 2018 to be organised in Bhubaneswar from 11 to 15 November 2018.

The roadshow witnessed encouraging response with over 100 leading Gujaratbased industrialists meeting the delegation and exploring attractive growth opportunities in Odisha’s focus sectors, said official sources here.

Finance Minister Mr Shashi Bhushan Behera, said Odisha is fast emerging as the manufacturing hub of Eastern India. “We invite Gujarati industrialists and entrepreneurs to explore growth opportunities in Odisha and invest in the state.” A 480 km coastline with deep water ports at Paradip and Dhamra, with combined capacities expected to reach over 400 MMTPA by 2020, Odisha is the largest producer of steel, stainless steel and aluminium in India and is the emerging ‘Education Hub of the East’, he said.

Sanjeev Chopra, said the state government is also giving early bid discount to investors on land cost (Rs 10 lakh per acre), to set up units in the state of the art Angul Aluminium Park, while state-run Nalco is giving a discount of Rs. 5,000 per tonne on aluminium ingots and Rs. 4,000 per tonne on molten metal to downstream industries.

The state also plans to reach out to potential investors with roadshows in Germany, US, China, Japan and South Korea, as well as several Indian cities including Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Vizag and Coimbatore.