Bhubaneswar: Odisha received investment intents worth nearly Rs 1 lakh crore during a two-day investors’ summit held in Kolkata on Friday and Saturday, govt officials said.As many as 27 MoUs were signed with an investment potential of Rs 81,864 crore, expected to generate over 63,161 jobs. In addition, 19 investment proposals amounting to Rs 18,453 crore were received, with the potential to create more than 27,591 employment opportunities.Addressing the Odisha Investors’ Meet Roadshow at a Kolkata hotel, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi said eastern India moved decisively from “potential to performance” and that Odisha is ready to co-anchor the next phase of industrial growth in the region under the vision of Purvodaya. Growth in the eastern region would be collaborative rather than competitive, with states complementing each other’s strengths to build a strong eastern industrial corridor, he said.Majhi said Odisha is financially strong and economically secure, and is rapidly transitioning from a resource-based economy to a value-addition and advanced manufacturing hub driven by speed, scale and sustainability. He highlighted the state’s strategic coastline and ports in Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur as key enablers of port-led industrialisation serving eastern and central India.The roadshow featured 130 exclusive high-level meetings and 4 sectoral round-tables. The hosiery, apparel accessories and technical textile round-table saw participation from representatives of 18 companies, while the metal ancillary, downstream and engineering goods round-table had 22 companies. While the govt did not disclose the names of companies that signed MoUs or expressed investment interest, officials said the highest proposals was received in steel (Rs 28,000 crore) and renewable energy (Rs 27,000 crore). MoUs were also signed in defence manufacturing (Rs 1,000 crore) and rare earth mineral processing (Rs 2,400 crore).Emphasising that signing MoUs is only the first step, the chief minister said the real measure of success lies in execution on the ground. He presented his roadmap for Samruddha Odisha by 2036 and invited industries, particularly from West Bengal, Jharkhand and the north-eastern states, to expand and grow with Odisha.Following the Kolkata roadshow, the state will next host Enterprise Odisha in Rourkela on Jan 27-28 to translate investment interest into on-ground outcomes.
