State plans sector-wise investors' meet ahead of 'Make in Odisha' conclave

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has decided to hold sector-wise investors' meets through various web platforms in the run up to the third edition of the Make in Odisha conclave scheduled from November 30 to December 4, 2020, with an aim to attract investments to the state.
Despite the expenditure rationalisation initiatives as part of the austerity measures in view of the pandemic, state industries secretary Hemanta Sharma said the plan for the Make in Odisha conclave was intact, adding that there could be certain changes in the format and content of the event.
"Our priority is to attract investment to the state in diverse sectors. Even during the lockdown, we have cleared investment proposals worth more than Rs 9,000 crore. Hence, we will go ahead and organise the Make in Odisha conclave," a senior government official said, on condition of anonymity.
The state government will decide the format and content of the event depending on the Covid situation at that time. "We have already started organising sector-specific investors meet through videoconferencing as physical meetings are not possible now," the officer added.
State industries minister Dibya Shankar Mishra and senior industry department officials recently attended an investors' meet on the textiles and apparel sector organised by Invest India via videoconferencing. Around 300 manufacturers of the sector participated in the meet, where Mishra highlighted the strategic advantages of the state for the growth of textiles and apparel sector; one of the six focus areas.
Odisha highlighted its advantages like sector-specific industrial clusters and other infrastructure like road, railways and ports and single window investment facilitation system by using technology.
Sources at the industries department said similar sector-wise investors meet have also been planned for the other five sectors - tourism, food, chemicals, plastics and petrochemicals, electronics manufacturing and metal downstream.
This apart, investors outreach programmes are being organised virtually with international business communities to attract foreign investment in the state. The aim is to highlight the industrial climate, facilities and the fast track approval systems with the use of technology available here.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who had recently held a videoconference with ArcelorMittal Group chairman LN Mittal, is likely to reach out to more captains of such industries ahead of the Make in Odisha conclave. The details are yet to be worked out.
The state government had organised similar investment roadshows in Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai, where the business communities were requested to invest in Odisha before the second edition of the Make in Odisha conclave in 2018.
In the annual budget for 2020-21 fiscal, the state government has earmarked Rs 70 crore for the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd (IPICOL) to organise the third edition of the conclave.