Odisha Eyes Rs 1 Lakh Crore Investment Through Port-Led Industrialisation
Government bets on maritime trade and coastal infrastructure to drive Viksit Odisha vision
Bhubaneswar : Odisha is positioning itself as a maritime powerhouse with ambitious plans to attract port-led industrial investments worth nearly Rs 1 lakh crore, Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain announced during a roadshow organised by Paradip Port. The event, held ahead of the five-day Indian Maritime Week scheduled in Mumbai from October 27 to 31, underlined the state’s focus on leveraging its long coastline and strategic location to accelerate industrialisation and economic growth.
Swain noted that the upcoming conclave in Mumbai, where Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 10 lakh crore are expected to be signed nationally, could see Paradip Port alone securing investments of more than Rs 1 lakh crore. “The state has three operational ports, including Paradip, which handled a record 154 million tonnes of cargo in the last fiscal year. Odisha’s ports are becoming key drivers of India’s blue economy, and we are determined to expand their role further,” he said.
The minister added that the government is building world-class infrastructure to boost the port ecosystem. “Expansion of maritime manufacturing, development of non-major and greenfield ports like Astaranga and Subarnarekha, as well as the newly announced Bahuda Port and Kendrapara shipbuilding cluster, are our top priorities. These projects will not only drive industrialisation but also generate large-scale employment opportunities,” Swain assured.
Highlighting the synergy between industrial growth and maritime trade, Industries Additional Chief Secretary Hemant Sharma pointed out that Odisha’s economy grew by 11 per cent in 2024-25, the highest in its history and ahead of the national average. “Maritime trade has immense potential to fuel this growth further. The state is rapidly emerging as a hub for shipbuilding and ship repair facilities, with several investors already showing keen interest,” Sharma observed.
Commerce and Transport Principal Secretary Usha Padhee laid out Odisha’s ambitious roadmap to expand port capacity from the present 80 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 500 MTPA by 2047. She stressed the need for resilient infrastructure, innovation, private participation, and greater involvement of women in the workforce to ensure inclusive and sustainable maritime growth.
Paradip Port Authority Chairman P.L. Haranadh reaffirmed the port’s role as the anchor of Odisha’s maritime expansion. He said the port’s growing cargo handling capacity and connectivity projects are creating new opportunities for industries, particularly in steel, aluminium, energy, and chemicals. Jagatsinghpur MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai, present at the roadshow, echoed the sentiment, saying that Odisha’s coastal assets would be pivotal in achieving both state and national economic goals.
The state’s emphasis on port-led development is part of its broader Purvodaya vision and Viksit Odisha 2036 roadmap, which seeks to transform Odisha into an industrial and logistics hub for eastern India. By investing in port infrastructure, logistics parks, shipbuilding clusters, and coastal manufacturing, the government aims to harness the blue economy for sustainable development.
Officials emphasised that these projects will not only improve trade efficiency but also open up livelihoods in fishing, ship repair, logistics, and ancillary industries. The focus is on ensuring that Odisha’s coastal districts—such as Ganjam, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, and Balasore—benefit from industrialisation while protecting ecological balance.
As Odisha prepares to showcase its maritime strengths at Indian Maritime Week, the message is clear: the state is not just expanding ports but also building an ecosystem that connects industry, trade, and community. With Rs 1 lakh crore worth of investments on the horizon, Odisha is charting a course toward becoming India’s eastern maritime gateway.
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