State govt to showcase over 125 projects at 'Make in Odisha' conclave

Odisha has prepared a shelf of over 125 projects which it will showcase at the upcoming mega event 'Make in Odisha' conclave in Bhubaneswar on November 30-December 2 planned in collaboration with the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP).

Such projects are touted as 'investible projects' where Odisha would be seeking fresh investments by highlighting the infrastructure. These projects cover an array of sectors- chemicals, petrochemicals & plastics, textiles, healthcare & biotech, agro & food processing, IT & electronics system design & manufacturing (ESDM), tourism, industrial parks, logistics & transport, Smart City projects, energy and investment opportunities for downstream industries in steel and aluminium.

The conclave would showcase the policy and regulatory environment, investment opportunities across focus sectors and manufacturing prowess of the state.

Pitching itself as the ultimate destination for investors, Odisha would showcase its strengths- good governance and stable political leadership, gateway to the ASEAN region, pioneer in single window facilitation, 100,000 acres of industrial land bank, progressive industrial policy with best-in-class incentives, robust industrial infrastructure ecosystem and knowledge hub of the east with over 100,000 industry ready manpower graduating every year. 

The state boasts of 50 per cent of the country’s aluminium smelting facility and 20 per cent of the steel making capacity besides being the largest stainless steel producer.

Odisha has been ranked the number one state by Assocham (2016) in terms of manufacturing investments. Its capital city Bhubaneswar was adjudged the number one Smart City in a contest among 98 Indian cities.

Among the projects to be showcased for luring investments is the Petroleum, Chemicals & Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR). The PCPIR is planned over 284 sq km straddling the coastal districts of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara. Investment opportunities exist in the areas of applications like integrated petrochemical products such as polyester chips, fibres, PET bottles, PET chips, sheets and thermoforming, industrial distillates, research & development and development of infrastructure.

In the energy sector, the state is developing a mega solar park of 1000 MW, estimated to cost around Rs 5000 crore, in six districts - Balasore, Keonjhar, Boudh, Deogarh, Kalahandi and Angul. The project envisages seeking World Bank funding for the development of internal infrastructure, such as substations and associated transmission lines, of the project.

In IT and ESDM sectors, Odisha would look to invite investments for the electronics manufacturing cluster (EMC) and the Infovalley being developed on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Major opportunities for EMC include manufacturing of electronic products, electronic components, semiconductor design and fabrication and equipment manufacturing. For the Infovalley project, Infosys is the anchor tenant and has committed an investment of Rs 300 crore in the first phase. The project is planned across 600 acres of land and has the potential to draw Rs 18,000 crore investments.

With two of its cities- Bhubaneswar and Rourkela making it to the league of Smart Cities, Odisha has also identified potential areas for investment- railways station multi-modal hub, e-rickshaw project, LED street lighting and solid waste management for Bhubaneswar and a few projects for Rourkela like Green Rourkela, Vibrant Rourkela and Brahmani Riverfront Development Project.