Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday unveiled the ‘Go East’ platform, a major initiative aimed at accelerating industrialisation across eastern India, while announcing significant amendments to the State’s Industrial Policy Resolution (IPR)-2022 to promote balanced regional development.
Addressing the CII Eastern Regional Council Meeting 2026 in Bhubaneswar, the Chief Minister said Odisha is poised to become the leading industrial destination in eastern India within the next five years and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to attracting and swiftly implementing investments.
The newly launched ‘Go East’ initiative, which stands for Government of Odisha – Eastern Investment Accelerator and Special Task Force, is designed to attract investments from eastern and northeastern states by offering a dedicated facilitation mechanism, policy support and faster project implementation.
Majhi said the initiative would enable industries to retain their existing manufacturing base and markets in their home states while expanding operations in Odisha with government support.
To implement the initiative, the state government will constitute a Special Task Force to fast-track investment proposals. A dedicated Go East Cell will also be established within the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha (IPICOL), while a new Go Swift digital module will provide real-time monitoring and tracking of investment approvals.
The Chief Minister said the initiative would particularly focus on Odisha’s border districts, where new industrial growth centres are expected to emerge, driving inclusive industrialisation and creating employment opportunities in underserved regions.
Announcing key amendments to the IPR-2022, Majhi said 15 economically backward districts, including Balangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Kandhamal, Boudh and Gajapati, will now receive ‘Thrust Sector’ status for the promotion of non-mineral-based industries.
The policy changes are expected to encourage investments beyond Odisha’s traditional mining sector and promote balanced regional development by incentivising manufacturing in backward districts.
Highlighting governance reforms, the Chief Minister said industrial approval timelines have been reduced from nearly 400 days to less than 160 days through the state’s Deregulation 1.0 and 2.0 initiatives. The government now aims to bring the approval period below 100 days.
He also highlighted the state’s investment performance, stating that since June 2024, Odisha has approved 477 industrial projects worth nearly Rs 9.5 lakh crore, with the potential to generate employment for around six lakh people.
Of these, 12 projects involving investments exceeding Rs 3.11 lakh crore have already entered the implementation stage and are nearing inauguration, demonstrating the state’s ability not only to attract investments but also to execute them in record time.
Majhi said Odisha is steadily diversifying beyond its mineral-based economy by promoting sectors such as steel, aluminium, chemicals, petrochemicals, semiconductors and electronics.
He added that the state’s ‘Samruddha Odisha 2036’ vision is aligned with the national goal of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, positioning Odisha as one of India’s most investor-friendly manufacturing destinations.
Strategic MoUs were also signed during the event. A total of seven MoUs were signed across six sectors, including steel, metal downstream, textiles, power, green energy equipment and chemicals. These MoUs represent an investment potential of approximately Rs 24,823 crore and employment potential for nearly 29,500 persons.
Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain also addressed the gathering, highlighting Odisha’s skilled youth workforce and the government’s efforts to align skill development programmes with industry requirements. He invited CII members to partner with the State in three core areas: identifying sector-wise investment opportunities to attract anchor investors and downstream units, connecting large industries with MSMEs to integrate local enterprises into national and global supply chains, and supporting initiatives to skill youth for the jobs of the future.
Senior government officials, industry leaders and representatives of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), including Hemant Sharma, Aboli Sunil Naravane, Rudra Chatterjee and Anil Kumar Singh, attended the event.
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