Odisha aims to secure Rs 5 lakh crore in investments across various sectors

Bhubaneswar: More than 5,000 delegates, including diplomats, investors, and industrialists from India and 12 other countries, are expected to participate in the much-anticipated ‘Utkarsh Odisha: Make in Odisha Conclave 2025.’ The state's flagship biennial investors’ summit is scheduled for inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 28.

According to Hemant Sharma, principal secretary of Odisha’s Industries department, invitations have been extended to 12 countries, with confirmations already received from eight. Delegates from Singapore, the event’s partner country, as well as Australia, Malaysia, Germany, Japan, the UK, Poland, and Cuba, are expected to attend.

“We are anticipating a diverse mix of over 5,000 delegates, including foreign envoys,” Sharma shared during a press briefing on Wednesday.

This year’s summit will take a more targeted approach, focusing on attracting labour-intensive industries with clear, measurable outcomes. Key sectors such as Information Technology (IT), renewable energy, chemicals and petrochemicals, and food processing will be in the spotlight.

Sharma also mentioned that around 100 of the Fortune 500 companies have been invited to participate. In a bid to encourage local entrepreneurship, the Odisha government will recognize 60 young entrepreneurs, each under 40 years of age. These entrepreneurs, representing each of Odisha’s 30 districts, will be honored during the event’s valedictory function on January 29 under the ‘60 Under 40’ initiative.

“This recognition highlights our commitment to the ‘vocal for local’ campaign,” Sharma said. The two-day conclave will be preceded by a series of national council meetings of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on January 27. The event is expected to attract top business leaders both from India and abroad.

The ‘Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave 2025’ is poised to be the premier investment forum in East India, aimed at driving economic growth and positioning Odisha as a globally competitive investment destination. This year’s event will focus on attracting both domestic and international investments across a wide range of sectors, cementing Odisha’s status as the industrial powerhouse of Eastern India.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi shared that the state is targeting Rs 5 lakh crore in investments through this summit. In its previous editions, ‘Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave’ was known as ‘Make in Odisha Conclave.” The three earlier editions were held in 2016, 2018, and 2022. The 2020 event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.