Bhubaneswar: In a significant move to bolster Odisha’s global industrial footprint, Shri Hemant Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Industries, IPR, and Home, led a high-level interaction with H.E. Maya Tissafi, the Ambassador of Switzerland to India.
Accompanied by senior officials from IPICOL, Shri Sharma presented a compelling case for Odisha as India’s premier investment destination, highlighting the state’s rapid transition into a diversified industrial powerhouse.
ACS Shri Sharma emphasized that Odisha is no longer just a mineral-rich state but a burgeoning hub for high-end manufacturing and technology. He showcased the state’s plug-and-play infrastructure, competitive cost of doing business, and a skilled workforce that has become a benchmark for industrial productivity in India.
The discussion centered on aligning Odisha’s industrial ecosystem with Switzerland’s world-renowned expertise in precision engineering and innovation.
Switzerland is looking to expand its investment footprint in Odisha across several high-tech and sustainable sectors. Key areas of focus include:
Precision Engineering and Med-Tech: Leveraging Switzerland’s global leadership in medical devices and precision machinery to utilize Odisha’s newly launched Pharma-Medical Devices Policy, which offers a 30% capital investment subsidy.
Green Energy and Sustainability: Swiss firms are exploring collaborations in renewable energy and green hydrogen, seeking to tap into Odisha’s goal of becoming a clean energy manufacturing hub.
Information Technology and AI: Following the India AI Impact Summit, Swiss interest has surged in Odisha’s digital ecosystem for research and development, particularly in AI-driven industrial solutions and cybersecurity.
Logistics and Infrastructure: With the Swiss-India Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) aiming for $100 billion in investments, Swiss heads of mission expressed intent to integrate Odisha’s manufacturing output into European value chains.
The meeting underscores a strategic shift as Odisha aggressively pursues foreign direct investment to meet its ambitious target of grounding projects worth over Rs 3 lakh crore by June 2026. This collaboration marks a new chapter in the Odisha-Switzerland economic partnership, promising high-value job creation and technological infusion for the state.