New Delhi:To further boost industrialization in the State, Industry leaders today urged the government to bring reforms to sustain investment momentum and boost confidence of the industry.
Industry Experts also called for time-bound land allotment, expansion and opening of mining projects to enable in-state value addition and long-term raw material security with stable terms.
Once hailed as a rising industrial powerhouse, Odisha is now facing a critical inflection point. While the State continues to attract substantial investment due to its rich mineral reserves and growing infrastructure, recent developments have sparked concern among industry stakeholders about Odisha’s long-term industrial competitiveness.
In a webinar, a top bureaucrat from the state, and a host of industry leaders prescribed a proactive and industry-friendly policy environment, for sustaining and stepping up the potential of this natural resources abundant state.
The call-to-action is aimed towards making Odisha an attractive industrial destination, it must shift from a regulator’s mindset to that of a facilitator, aligning with its Viksit Odisha 2036 growth ambitions with ease-of-doing-business and long-term investor trust.
While the recent announcement of over Rs 1.65 lakh crore in approved investments across various districts signals State’s ongoing industrial ambition, experts warn that unless core execution challenges are resolved, these ambitious plans risk delay or derailment.
The State has witnessed a series of setbacks in project execution. Many industries are also willing to invest in other states over Odisha.
The experts said that the industry is pinning its hope on the recently elected State government to work along with Central government to introduce policy changes that will help sustain investment and boost confidence of existing investors.
Among many, one of the most pressing concerns remains land acquisition delays—a recurring issue even for projects that have received official clearances.
Cases involving AMNS India, BPCL, GAIL, JSW Steel etc, highlight how delays in approvals, local resistance, and lack of procedural transparency continue to stall progress and inflate costs.
Government must enable land allocation, a prerequisite for industries. This may otherwise delay projects indefinitely while inflating costs from vested interests thereby making projects unviable, they said.
Odisha has an abundance of natural resources such as majority of India’s iron ore, bauxite, coal, chromite, manganese reserves. Yet, the State is unable to fully harness the end-to-end value creation of its resources leading to a raw material supply deficit for the existing industries that have invested in the State, said an expert.
Jayadev Sarangi, a retired IAS officer and former secretary to the Government of Delhi/Goa, said, “Prime Minister Modi’s call to action aligns with the needs of Indian industry. What’s encouraging is the improved connectivity—rail corridors, ports, and road networks—around mineral zones. To complement this, we urge the establishment of a dedicated Mineral Facilitation Cell in states like Odisha to integrate approvals, logistics planning, and community engagement.
It will fast-track projects and amplify regional growth. Stakeholders of the mineral rich region need to be taken into confidence while planning a project, he said.
It will also facilitate easier land acquisition and acceptance of the industry. Regional aspirations and imbalances should be the cornerstone of any upcoming project, Sarangi said.
Manoj K Dash, senior advisor, Centre for Environment and Development, Bhubaneswar, said. “The government’s focus on value addition and resource-led development, as highlighted at the Utkarsh Odisha Conclave, is both timely and essential. Odisha’s bauxite reserves are a national asset—but their true value can only be realized through expedited mine clearances and opening of mines.”
This will ensure raw material security for industry and avoid imports. This will indeed boost investor confidence and attract new investments from existing and new investors. This in turn will lead to local community development and generate employment within the state. We must shift from being a resource-rich state to a value-rich economy.”
Guruprasad Choudhary, Strategic Advisor, BGR Mining & Infra Ltd, said, “The National Manufacturing Mission and mineral policy reforms reflect strong intent from the government. To fully utilize our natural resources, we need to enable faster approvals for mineral blocks. Most importantly it needs to transition to trust-based regulatory models like self-certification. This will allow industries to plan long-term investments and create stable employment across mineral-rich states like Odisha.”
Moderating the session, Nikhil Raj Development Economist & Director, Sustainable Outcomes Pvt. Ltd, said, “We welcome the Prime Minister’s stance against raw mineral exports and his emphasis on domestic value addition. Odisha has the potential to become the metal capital of the world. But operational bottlenecks have led to the underutilization of installed production capacity of plants and refineries. Addressing this gap with expeditious expansion of existing operating mines and fast-track operationalization of mines will reduce our import burden significantly.”