Odisha CM Returns From UAE With Rs 2.43 Lakh Crore Investment Proposals

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi returned to the state on Sunday after a five-day visit to the UAE, saying the government had secured investment proposals worth Rs 2.43 lakh crore that are expected to create around nine lakh employment opportunities.

Addressing the media at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here, Mr Majhi said the UAE visit had opened a “new chapter” in the state government’s two-year-long industrialisation drive.

The investment proposals include eight memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and 16 investment intents, with the proposed projects expected to generate 6,18,725 direct employment opportunities. Including indirect employment, the total number of jobs is estimated at around nine lakh, according to the state government.

The latest proposals take Odisha’s total investment commitments to more than Rs 22.5 lakh crore, the Chief Minister said.

Mr Majhi said the government’s primary objective was to ensure that young people from Odisha could find dignified employment in the state after completing their education.

“Our government is utilising its full potential for the bright future of our youth,” he said, adding that the state had expanded its industrialisation drive from the beginning of its tenure to create more employment opportunities.

During the UAE visit from September 8 to 12, the Chief Minister, Industries Minister and senior officials held extensive discussions with investors and business leaders in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The delegation held 52 business meetings, including six roundtable discussions and 46 one-to-one meetings, and interacted with around 400 industry leaders and representatives, the government said.

A major focus of the visit was the proposed integrated aluminium project in Odisha by the Adani Group and International Resources Holding (IHC). Mr Majhi said discussions were held with UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism and chairman of the UAE International Investors Council Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri and IHC Managing Director Syed Basar Shueb.

He said the partnership between IHC and the Adani Group, announced on July 2, 2026, was being taken forward through plans for 14 new projects in Odisha. Efforts were also under way to establish industries linked to the proposed integrated aluminium project in Rayagada and Sundargarh districts, he said.

The Chief Minister also highlighted his interactions with successful Odia entrepreneurs and members of the Odia diaspora in the UAE, saying such engagements would strengthen business and cultural ties.

Mr Majhi said the government was working towards its vision of a prosperous Odisha by 2036 and its goal of transforming the state into a $500-billion economy over the next decade.

He said the government was also focusing on making young people “employment-ready” through skill training to meet the manpower requirements of factories and offices expected to come up in the state.

The Chief Minister said the next challenge was to translate investment proposals and MoUs into actual projects.

“After achieving success at the initial stage, our next target is to implement these investment proposals and MoUs at the earliest and start production,” he said.

The government’s investment outreach has intensified since the Utkarsh Odisha–Make in Odisha Conclave held in Bhubaneswar in January 2025. Since then, its teams have visited Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Gujarat and Singapore, among other destinations, to attract investments, Mr Majhi said.

He said the inflow of investments would accelerate economic growth and create large-scale employment opportunities, contributing to the state’s development.

Several state ministers, MLAs and senior political leaders were present at the airport to welcome the Chief Minister on his return.