With Japan eyeing to invest in Odisha, chances are bright for setting up of industrial townships across the State.

The Shinzo Abe Government of Japan has been identifying sites for setting up of industrial townships across the country in order to promote India’s infrastructure and domestic manufacturing as it has decided to double its investment.

As part of their initiative, Ambassador of Japan Satoshi Suzuki called on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on February 27 led by Union Minister Steel Dharmendra Pradhan.

In fact, Japan has already identified 11 sites in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. As Japan is interested for steel hub in Odisha, it needs to re-identify more sites for industrial townships, which will serve as hubs of investment into the State.

Japan authorities are providing knowhow and industrial township advance soft skills and in other countries these projects have been able to attract huge investments.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was very much interested for Japanese support for industrial township and Gujarat has offered Mandal Industrial Zone for development of a major industrial township.

Similarly, with Ministry of Steel coming up with first steel hub at Kalinga Nagar, it will offer a major attraction for Japanese authorities to go for an industrial township, officials feel.

In fact in the meeting with Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy, Tata BSL chief Manikant Naik had urged the State Government to develop industrial townships with infrastructure.

Idco CMD Sanjay Kumar Singh is also favorable for such an initiative as other corporate sector honchos are urging for the same.

Sources said the Idco chief was working out modalities for industrial townships so that those zones would serve as hubs of investment.

Some in the corporate sector also are asking for development of downstream parks for inviting investments, said Principal Secretary Sharma.

Vedanta Limited CEO Rahul Sharma pointed out that there was a requirement to develop downstream park at Jharsuguda. Major investors have harped on rail, road and air connectivity for which Chief Secretary Tripathy has assured them that the State Government would take necessary steps for these types of physical infrastructure required for industries.