As the BJP-led government in Odisha approaches its first anniversary in office, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday outlined an ambitious industrial investment roadmap, claiming that the state has approved ₹4.5 lakh crore worth of projects over the past year. A total of 206 industrial projects have received clearances, with the potential to create approximately 2.9 lakh jobs.

Speaking at an interaction with prominent industry leaders, MSME and women entrepreneurs, and start-up representatives, the Chief Minister emphasized Odisha’s transformation into a fast-emerging industrial hub in Eastern India.

Advertisement

“The state has embarked on a mission to redefine its industrial landscape through a series of groundbreaking initiatives,” Majhi said, underlining the BJP Government’s focus on industrial growth since taking office in June last year.

Appreciating the contributions of entrepreneurs and industry leaders, the Chief Minister said, “Odisha is becoming a fulcrum of industrialization. We are committed to job creation and inclusive growth. I urge industry leaders to grow with Odisha and become active partners in our journey to build an industrial powerhouse.”

Reflecting on the government’s first year in office, Majhi stated:
“One year ago, the people of Odisha placed their faith in us to build a future that is inclusive, aspirational, and transformative. Today, we reflect on this first year with pride in our progress and renewed commitment to the journey ahead.”

Highlighting the pivotal role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Utkarsha Odisha investment summit, Majhi noted the event’s transformative impact:
“The Prime Minister’s call to investors to back Odisha has been highly rewarding. Over 150 MoUs were signed, generating ₹16.7 lakh crore in investment intent and an employment potential of more than 12.9 lakh jobs.”

The Chief Minister reported that 206 large-scale projects were approved in the past year—nearly double the average annual approvals from the previous five years. These represent over ₹4.5 lakh crore in investment and nearly 2.9 lakh job opportunities.

“Since Utkarsha Odisha, 56 projects have already progressed to ground-breaking or inauguration, representing a combined investment of over ₹1.78 lakh crore and job creation potential for 1.1 lakh people,” he said. “These numbers reflect not only our speed but also our scale and substance.”

Majhi further stated that growth has been spread across 20 diverse sectors—from traditional strengths such as mining and metallurgy to emerging areas including chemicals, food processing, apparel and textiles, renewable energy, electronics, and tourism.

“Odisha is no longer just the minerals and metals hub of India—it is fast becoming a diversified industrial powerhouse,” he asserted. “In many ways, we have done more in this one year than in the past five years combined—through quiet, focused, and committed action.”

Looking ahead, the Chief Minister outlined four key priorities for the coming year: Introducing new policies to unlock emerging sectors and enhance global competitiveness; expanding the state’s land bank and industrial infrastructure to meet future demand; revamping the single-window clearance system and developing an integrated project tracking platform, and simplifying and deregulating burdensome rules and processes to ensure faster approvals and real-time monitoring.

“These reforms will facilitate seamless coordination and accelerate Odisha’s industrial transformation,” he concluded.