Speech of Hon’ble Chief Minister at PBD-2025

Speech of Hon’ble Chief Minister at PBD-2025
(Joint Business Session between MEA and Odisha)

Venue: Hotel Swosti Premium
Date & Time: 08-01-2025 (10:45AM)

Jai Jagannath

Namaskar, Good Morning.

Hon’ble Minister, External Affairs,
Dr. S. Jaishankar Ji

Hon’ble Minister, Industries, Skill Development & Technical Education, Government of Odisha
Sj. Sampad Chandra Swain

Chief Secretary,
Shri Manoj Ahuja

Principal Secretary, Industries, Odisha
Shri Hemant Sharma

Managing Director, IPICOL, Odisha
Shri Bhupendra Singh Poonia

Business Leaders of Indian Diaspora

Business Leaders from Odia Diaspora

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Welcome to the Land of Lord Jagannath,

Welcome to the Land of Opportunities, Odisha.

I am delighted and feel privileged to address such esteemed guests of Indian diaspora members entrepreneurs and visionaries.

I extend a warm welcome to each one of you to this special session. Your presence here affirms Odisha’s potential as India’s investment destination of choice.

World over Odisha is known as the land of Lord Jagannath. We have been a prominent centre of art craft and architecture for centuries. Today, we are fast emerging as a growth engine of India.

Under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, we are working hard to achieve the goal of Samrudhh Odisha by 2036 and Viksit Bharat by 2047. A key component of Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat is Purvodaya development of the Eastern Indian States.

Odisha is the front runner of this effort.

I, on behalf of the people of Odisha extend a warm welcome to you to come and invest in Odisha.

Now let me indulge in brief why you must come here and do business in the state.

• Odisha is the 2nd richest state with mineral sources. You name it and we have it.
• Odisha is perhaps the most peaceful state in the entire country with stable law and order
• There are no social fault-lines disturbing peace
• The state has a history of giving stable political environment
• The state has an impressive infrastructure with networks of National Highways State Highways blacktop arterial roads
• Three functional sea ports and two major airports with about four more smaller airports to serve smooth connectivity. Two more major airports are coming up at Puri and Charbatia.
• Odisha has one of the busiest rail corridors linking virtually to all parts of India.
• Availability of skilled as well as unskilled manpower at the right cost as compared to other industrial states and moreover State with investor friendly Industrial Policy

What more the industry requires? You can virtually tick all the boxes for setting up industry in this place. I can assure you that we are ready to walk four steps if you choose to walk half a step. We have only one condition people of the state ought to benefit from it.

The Union Government under the leadership of Prime Minister ModiJi, has sanctioned road and railway projects worth about 5 billion U.S Dollars (40 thousand Crore) in last six months. Odisha’s capital outlay is highest among the major Indian States 6.3 percent of Gross State Domestic Product.

The state has a consistent record of growth.

Under the visionary leadership of our beloved Prime Minister Shri Narendra ModiJi, we have already become the 5th largest economy in the world and at present the fastest growing big economy. India is now the only shining star over a sea of gloom and doom around us. Odisha also aspires to be a part of this growth journey. While from the 13th biggest economy in the country we want to propel ourselves to be among the top five economies in the country.

I hope as the country celebrates its 100th year of Independence in 2047. we will achieve this goal and Odisha will be in the proud club with a 1.5 trillion Dollar economy.

For realizing this goal, foundation has to be strong and should be laid early, which we are doing with Utkarsh Odisha. In order to achieve this we have a defined and clear roadmap.

Our vision for Odisha’s transformation is centred on future-ready sectors such as renewable energy advanced manufacturing, petro-chemicals, textiles, pharmaceuticals and bio-technology.

Youths are an unbound source of energy, innovation, and in order to make them industry ready we are providing them the required skill education. I will fail in my duty if I don’t mention the wonderful gift nature has gifted us.

The natural bounty of virgin forests beautiful and green mountains 480-KM long coastline and sea beaches Asia’s largest saltwater natural lake hundreds of historical and religious places.

What more you need to invest in the field of tourism? I urge the diaspora to explore the possibility in this important sector which promises so much possibilities. Under the visionary leadership of our beloved Prime Minister Shri Narendra ModiJi, we have already become the 5th largest economy in the world and at present the fastest growing big economy. After we achieve the goal of 5 trillion Dollar economy in a year or so we will be aiming at building India to enter the coveted 10 trillion Dollar economy in next 5-7 years. Odisha also aspires to be a part of this growth journey, While from the 13th biggest economy in the country with about 100 billion USD economy we want to propel ourselves to be among the top five economy in the country.

With the power of the Double Engine Governance and blessings of our beloved and visionary Prime Minister Shri Modi ji, it will be realised sooner than later. As we prepare for the Utkarsh Odisha: Make in Odisha Conclave 2025, I extend a warm invitation to all of you to join us in this journey. Odisha is on the move, and together we can shape a future of shared prosperity.

India is the favourite destination of global FDI in the world and we want to make Odisha as the favourite destination of FDI in India.

Thank you all for being here today and I look forward to welcoming you to the Utkarsh Odisha: Make in Odisha Conclave 2025 at Bhubaneswar.

Come invest in Odisha Invest in Future.

Thank you for Gracing the occasion and make us proud.
Bondey Utkal Janani.

Jai Hind.