Good work trumps politics: Naveen Patnaik

HYDERABAD: A day after he turned 76, one of India’s longest-serving Chief Ministers, Naveen Patnaik, the Biju Janata Dal supremo, who is into his fifth continuous term, interacted with leading business leaders and corporations, to invite them to join the rapid development path of his state.

“Odisha is an ideal destination for companies which want to grow big. It is placed at an ideal location, connecting all parts of the country. We have both natural and human resources required by any business,” Patnaik told a gathering of investors in Hyderabad on Monday.

Odisha is ranked among top states in India in terms of ease of doing business, Patnaik elaborated.

Speaking exclusively to DC, asked about his political success and his soft-spoken demeanour in an era of shrill vituperous exchanges, he smilingly replied, “It shows that good work speaks and gets recognised and rewarded by people.”

He explained that Odisha was making rapid strides in development and had adopted the national game, hockey, which it was sponsoring across India.

“I invite all of you to come to Odisha to witness next year’s Men’s Hockey World Cup, the 15th edition of the men’s FIH Hockey World Cup to be held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29, 2023,” he said.

Odisha, which has reduced rural poverty by over 25 per cent under his leadership, is now ranked highly in the ease of doing business rankings, a transformation brought in by his government.

When asked about the industries and areas where Odisha was looking for investments, especially from entrepreneurs and corporations based in the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, he said, “We have exciting opportunities for businesses in all areas. Beyond the conventional areas like mining and harnessing other natural resources, we are now growing in energy, software, manufacturing, healthcare, pharma and infrastructure.”

Patnaik said that Odisha had the best industrial policy in the country. The state had several industrial parks and IT parks with plug-and-play facilities.

Several leading Hyderabad-based business leaders including Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella (Bharat Biotech), Y.R. Nagaraja (Ramky Group), J. Rameshwar Rao (My Home Group), B. Bhaskar Rao (KIMS Group), Dr Sangitha Reddy (Apollo Hospitals), and S. Veera Reddy (Sagar Cements), and corporate leaders of Microsoft, Oracle and Deloitte, among others, met Chief Minister Patnaik to discuss opportunities in his state.

Patnaik requested business leaders to attend the ‘Make In India’ conclave to be held in Bhubaneswar from November 30 to December 4.