A hardworking leader, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi is pulling out all stops to ensure that Odisha remains firmly on the path of development in keeping with his promise of making it one of the best states of the country. His latest decisions, most of them coinciding with the completion of his government’s 500 days in office, are certain to provide necessary fillip to growth.
Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi is fast-tracking Odisha’s development with focus on infrastructure and industries. In keeping with his promise of making Odisha one of the front-ranking states of the country, he has kept his officials on their toes and ensured that they coordinate well with their central counterparts.
Results are already showing. The state government recently approved the ‘B-MAAN’ (Building and management of aviation assets and network) scheme with a total outlay of Rs 14,182 crore to make Odisha the aviation hub of eastern India. A meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by the chief minister gave its nod to this umbrella scheme for the growth of the aviation sector.
“The scheme aims to bring all aspects of aviation under one comprehensive framework. It is expected to position Odisha as a leading aviation hub in eastern India under the inclusive vision ‘Aviation for All’ (Samastanka pai biman seba)”, said chief secretary Manoj Ahuja.
The major components of the scheme include infrastructure development and modernisation, air connectivity and viable gap funding (VGP), maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) ecosystem, emerging technologies and innovation, cargo and logistics development, capacity building and skill development and institutional strengthening.
Under the scheme the state government will make provision for incentives to airlines to enhance regional air connectivity, linking tier-II and tier-III towns with major cities under UDAN and other schemes. The state will also establish world-class MRO facilities at Biju Patnaik International Airport and other strategic locations to create a self-reliant aviation maintenance ecosystem and attract private investment.
This apart, the state will also promote futuristic technologies such as drones, seaplanes, e-VTOL aircraft, and aerospace manufacturing, enabling Odisha to stay at the forefront of new-age aviation and green mobility. Strengthening air cargo infrastructure will be part of the scheme which will boost agricultural exports, industrial logistics, and time-sensitive trade.
The state will create large-scale employment opportunities through aviation-focused skilling, flight training, and specialised programmes for technicians, pilots and ground-handling professionals in partnership with reputed industry partners.
The state government has also approved 33 investment proposals worth Rs 1.46 lakh crore, including Adani Enterprises Limited’s coal-to-chemical project. The projects were cleared in the High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) meeting, chaired by the chief minister and the Single Window Clearance Committee (SLWCA) headed by chief secretary Manoj Ahuja.
While HLCA approved 12 investment proposals worth Rs 1,41,993.54 crore, which will create 49,745 employment opportunities, the SLWCA approved Rs 4,019.53 crore worth of investments, generating 16,590 employment opportunities. The HLCA approved the projects in the new-age sectoral investments in the ESDM (Electronics System Design and Manufacturing) sector, while ACME Akshay Energy Private Limited has invested in green hydrogen and green ammonia production. Jindal India Power Limited has also invested in the power and renewable energy sector. The Adani Enterprise Limited will set up a coal-to-chemical plant at an investment of Rs 84,000 crore in Sundergarh district and generate employment for 36,000 people.
A total of 33 investment proposals were approved marking the completion of 500 days in the office by the BJP government in Odisha. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said, “These 500 days reflect a confident, progressive, and investment-ready Odisha. The trust shown by investors from across India and abroad highlights the strength of our policies, the speed of governance, and our vision for a self-reliant and developed state.”
Investments have been strategically spread across 14 key districts–Angul, Bolangir, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Khordha, Puri, Sambalpur, and Sundergarh–ensuring balanced industrialisation and inclusive regional growth. These initiatives will boost industrial growth, create more skilled jobs, and support sustainable development across Odisha. They will also help strengthen the state’s position as a leading destination for both Indian and global investors.
In the past 500 days, Odisha has set a new benchmark. During this period, 12 Single Window meetings and 7 HLCA meetings were held, approving 330 projects with a total investment potential of Rs 7.7 lakh crore, spanning diverse sectors such as metals, chemicals, textiles, food processing, and IT/ESDM. These approvals are expected to generate approximately 4.7 lakh employment opportunities across the state. In addition, 76 projects were fast-tracked and grounded, while 8 projects were inaugurated, with a combined investment of Rs 2.04 lakh crore, creating around 1.63 lakh direct employment opportunities across various skill-sets.
Significantly Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal recently met chief minister Mohan Majhi to discuss the prospects of investing in Odisha. Following the meeting Agarwal said that work on the proposed 3 million tonne per annum aluminium smelter in Dhenkanal district will start in the next three to four months if the required land along with necessary statutory clearances is granted within that period. The entrepreneur said his company planned to invest Rs 1 lakh crore on the smelter plant which will generate employment for around 40,000 people. “This will be one of the largest smelters in the world. If things go as per plan, we will be able to complete the Dhenkanal project within three or three-and-half years’ time,” he said.
Vedanta is also learnt to have agreed to establish an ultra-modern ferro-alloys plant in Keonjhar district with an investment of Rs 2,000 crore. This will enhance Odisha’s standing in the global metal value chain. The Vedanta Group will also set up two new aluminium parks – one near its aluminium plant at Jharsuguda and the other at a site to be identified by the state government. These state-of-the-art parks will produce high-grade aluminium alloys suitable for use in aerospace, electric vehicles and defence sectors.This will attract large-scale downstream investments and significantly boost the MSME sector in the state.
It is important to remember that most of these developments are taking place at a time when campaigning for the Nuapada assembly by-poll is in full swing. This is certain to boost BJP’s prospects in the bye-election being held in the western Odisha constituency following the death of BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia. The saffron party seems well placed to wrest the seat from BJD with Dholakia’s son Jay Dholakia joining the party soon after the announcement of by-poll and being made its candidate.
The BJP has further strengthened its position in the constituency with people approving of its pro-poor initiatives and its push for industrialization. Among its latest poverty alleviation moves is the decision to fund the Aahaar scheme (cheap meal of Rs 5 available in urban areas) from the state budget instead keeping it dependent on the CSR (corporate social responsibility) of industries and the CMRF (chief minister relief fund).
Sources say that more such decisions are in the offing as the Majhi government remains keen to ensure all round development of the state with focus on poorer and deprived sections of the society. As the government endeavours in this direction it is simultaneously strengthening the position of the BJP in the state.
