New Delhi: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced that the state is aiming to emerge as a major food processing hub in the country, inviting investors to explore opportunities across agriculture, marine resources, logistics, packaging and other allied sectors.
Addressing the ‘Odisha Food Pro’ investment programme in New Delhi on Friday, the Chief Minister assured investors that the state government would provide full support to businesses looking to establish operations in Odisha.
Majhi said Team Odisha would always stand by investors, emphasising the state’s commitment to creating a favourable environment for investment and industrial growth.
Odisha Targets Food Processing Growth
The Chief Minister said the Odisha government is giving special emphasis to the development of the blue economy and food processing sector as part of its broader economic development strategy.
He highlighted Odisha’s strong agricultural and marine resources as key advantages for the growth of food processing industries.
The government plans to provide investors with improved market access and export connectivity through the state’s railway and port infrastructure, enabling processed products from Odisha to reach domestic and international markets more efficiently.
Majhi also highlighted Koraput Coffee, which has developed a distinct identity across the country, as an example of Odisha’s potential to create nationally recognised agricultural and food products.
₹43,437 Crore Investment Finalised
The sector-specific investment roadshow attracted significant interest from entrepreneurs and companies.
More than 300 entrepreneurs participated in the event, while over 100 companies took part in discussions with the state government.
According to the details presented at the programme, investment projects worth ₹43,437 crore were finalised.
The proposed investments are expected to generate approximately 43,316 employment opportunities, providing a major boost to job creation and industrial development in the state.
27 MoUs and 12 Investment Intents
The investment programme resulted in the signing of 27 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) along with 12 investment intents, covering several segments of the food processing ecosystem.
The agreements and proposals span areas including:
- Beverage processing
- Agro-processing
- Food processing
- Logistics
- Packaging
- Other allied sectors
These investments are expected to strengthen Odisha’s agricultural value chain by encouraging greater processing and value addition within the state.
CM Assures Investors of Government Support
Speaking about the response from the corporate sector, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said that more than 100 companies participated in discussions during the investors’ meet.
He said the participation of companies helped make the event successful and highlighted the range of investments being proposed across beverage processing, agro-processing, logistics, packaging and other segments linked to the state’s proposed food processing hub.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the government would extend necessary support to investors and work towards facilitating projects from investment to implementation.
Focus on Jobs and Rural Economic Growth
The expansion of food processing is expected to create benefits beyond industrial investment.
By encouraging the processing of agricultural and marine products within Odisha, the government aims to create greater opportunities for farmers, producers and rural communities while reducing dependence on the sale of raw commodities.
The sector could also generate employment across multiple supporting industries, including transportation, warehousing, cold-chain management, packaging and logistics.
With its agricultural resources, marine economy, ports and growing industrial infrastructure, Odisha is seeking to position itself as an attractive destination for companies looking to expand their food processing operations.
The Odisha Food Pro initiative marks a major step in the state’s efforts to attract large-scale investment and build a stronger, export-oriented food processing ecosystem.
