Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the two-day 'Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave 2025', the flagship Global Investment Summit hosted by the State Government at the Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was also present at the inauguration ceremony.

"I believe Eastern India is the growth engine of the country and Odisha is an important part of it. When India used to have a massive contribution to global growth, India's eastern part had a huge contribution to that. Odisha used to be the main centre of trade with South East Asia," the PM said while addressing the gathering.

"The president of Indonesia was on India's visit. He said that Odisha is in his DNA. Odisha has a legacy that connects it to Southeast Asia. In this century, Odisha is again working to revive that legacy," he added.

The Utkarsh Odisha conclave aims to position Odisha as the anchor of Purvodaya Vision, a leading investment destination and industrial hub in India.

PM Modi also inaugurated the Make in Odisha Exhibition, highlighting the state's achievements in developing a vibrant industrial ecosystem. It will serve as a platform for industry leaders, investors, and policymakers to converge and discuss the opportunities Odisha offers as a preferred investment destination.

The conclave will host CEOs and Leaders’ Roundtables, Sectoral Sessions, B2B meetings, and Policy Discussions, ensuring targeted engagement with investors across the globe. More than 7,500 investors from India and abroad are going to attend the Utkarsh Odisha conclave.

The conclave will focus on five key sectors: IT, renewable energy, textiles, chemicals, and food processing.

Twelve countries, including Australia, Malaysia, Japan, Germany, Poland, and Cuba, have been invited as 'Countries of Focus' to participate in the conclave.

The Odisha government aims to secure investments worth Rs 5 lakh crore to turn Odisha into a global industrial hub. As many as 100 Memorandum of Understandings are expected to be signed during the mega event.

Speaking to media persons, state Industry Minister Sampad Chandra Swain had earlier stated that the government’s focus would also be on ensuring project implementation rather than just signing MoUs. The conclave will bolster the state government’s efforts to achieve the target of Samrudh Odisha by 2036 and Viksit Bharat by 2047.

(With IANS inputs)