On a day when the Shinde Fadnavis government was struggling to cope up with the loss of $20 billion investment for a semiconductor project by Vedanta Foxconn to Gujarat, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday met Vedanta Group chief Anil Agarwal and a couple of investors from Maharashtra and rolled a red carpet for investments in his state. Patnaik at the investors’ meet organised by the Odisha government with FICCI called upon investors to invest in mining, steel, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, engineering, education, skill development, new emerging technologies among other sectors with a promise to provide necessary government cooperation.
Apart from Agarwal, the Odisha CM met the Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, SBI Chairman Dinesh Kumar Chara, Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra, BSE Chairman SS Mundra, Supreme Industries chairman MP Taparia, NSE MD and CEO Ashish Chauhan, L&T full-time director DK Sen, HDFC country head Arvind Vohra and ICICI Bank ED Rakesh Jha.
‘’Odisha is one of the fastest growing economies in India and has consistently grown above the national average in the last decade and a half. We are fast emerging as a major industrial destination in eastern India because of our natural resource advantage and strategic location. Over the last 20 years, my government has focused on leveraging these natural advantages through progressive policy, efficient administration, and technological interventions,’’ said Patnaik.
Odisha Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said, ‘’ A humble beginning was made in 2016, which saw a footfall of 18,500 and received over 120 investment intents valued at over Rs. 2 Lakh Crore. In 2018, we hosted the 2nd edition which raised the bar even higher, received an influx of 45,000 visitors, and received investments worth over Rs. 4 Lakh crore.’’
