Bhubaneswar: In a strategic move to bolster the state’s climate resilience and economic roadmap, the State SDG Cell of the Planning and Convergence Department, Government of Odisha, inaugurated a two-day workshop on “Leveraging Blue and Green Economy for a Resilient Future” on January 29, 2026. Held at Hotel Crown in Bhubaneswar, the workshop serves as a critical platform for integrating sustainable economic approaches into the state’s long-term development vision, Viksit Odisha @2036.
The event convened senior policymakers, experts from national institutions, academia, UN agencies, civil society organisations, private sector representatives, and community leaders to deliberate on pathways for building a resilient and sustainable future. Addressing the participants in the inauguration session, Shri Deoranjan Kumar Singh, Development Commissioner-cum-ACS, Planning and Convergence Department, Government of Odisha, delivered the keynote address on environmental sustainability through the green economy. The inaugural session was also addressed by Dr. Ashish Chaturvedi, Head of the Environment, Energy and Resilience pillar, UNDP India, New Delhi, who highlighted India’s commitment to the UN SDGs through blue and green economy frameworks.
The workshop comprised six technical sessions with 21 speakers, covering key dimensions of the Blue and Green Economy. Experts from NITI Aayog, TISS, ICAR-IIWM, IIT Bhubaneswar, Berhampur University, MPEDA, UNDP India, and other institutions shared key insights and best practices on sustainable development, climate resilience, and livelihood security.
The first day focused on various aspects of the Green Economy, with discussions on green jobs, environmental financing, water security, and responsible consumption and production. It is expected to strengthen Odisha’s SDG implementation framework by aligning policy, innovation, and community action. In the technical session-1, Dr. Neelam Patel, Senior Advisor (Agriculture), NITI Aayog and Shri Ashok Singha, MD, ASCERT Network Advisors, Odisha, discussed Sustainable Blue and Green Economic Growth from an Indian perspective.
Session II covered Sustainable Climate Smart Agriculture: Inclusive approaches, featuring Shri Nitin Bassi, Fellow, CEEW, New Delhi, Dr. Bibhu Prasad Nayak, Professor, TISS-Hyderabad, and Dr. Debal Deb, practitioner of Indigenous seed conservation. In technical session III, Dr. A. Sarangi, Director, ICAR-IIWM, Shri Amit Kumar, Manager, Skyvan Aviation, and Dr. M.K. Ram Mohan, Director, MPEDA, discussed water security, new technologies, and green value chains.
Principal Secretary F&ARD Shri S.K. Vashisth, Secretary Co-operation Shri Rajesh Pravakar Patil, MD OLIC Smt. Mansi Nimbhal, and other senior officers participated in the inaugural day. During the workshop, an AV film on SDGs was played and a booklet on Aspirational, Sustainable Snippets of Success from the Heartland – Vol-2 was released. Smt Alka Jena, Director, SDG Cell, proposed the vote of thanks to the guests and participants.