literally, the mega strategic investment event 'Make in Odisha' organised by the Odisha Government was apparently a success on day one.
Big names in industrial horizon like Gautam Adani, Anil Agarwal, Saroj Poddar, Sajan Jindal, Shashi Ruia and big corporate houses like Hindustan Coca Cola, ITC, Aditya Birla Group and SanDisk et al virtually have given a thumbs-up to Odisha's business environment.
Besides, video-messages from business honchos in the country like Mukesh Ambani and Kumar Mangalam Birla promising investment plan roll-outs and a pat on industry-friendly environment in Odisha have boosted investors' confidence in State's business reforms plan.
However, the icing on the cake has been the presence of SBI chairperson Arundati Bhattacharya, who gave a categorical assurance of playing the role of an active financier in Odisha's industrial stride when she said, "To Odisha's 3 Ms (mines, minerals and manpower), I add the 4th M - money", and assured putting SBI's whole endeavor in bringing up a cashless and digitized industrial ambience in the State. Significantly, the SBI chief's presence in the mega event has been a tactical success for the organisers as accessible project financing is an important parameter in Investment Confidence Index.
Post the Posco fiasco and Arcelor Mittal snub, Odisha Government's endeavour has been to erase the taints on its industrial-friendly image that has adversely affected the private inflow to the State. The 'Make in Odisha' conclave on Thursday looked to have gone a long way in washing off some taints, when from the podium Vedanta chief Anil Agarwal, whose Vedanta Alumina faced the worst nightmares, compared Odisha with Australia on the count of their rich greenery and minerals and declared the business environment in Odisha as wonderful to fellow investors.
Gautam Adani outlined an 'energy' booster plan to the State's investment arena, when he announced a whopping Rs 15,000 crore investment plan in setting up a vegetable oil refinery plant at Dhamra from the current investment of Rs 700 crore, besides making Odisha powerhouse of country in coming years.
What comes as a 'sweetener' for the State is declaration by beverage MNC major Hindustan Coca Cola Group to make Odisha its largest investment hub in the country. Similarly, FMCG major ITC laid out plans to invest Rs 800 crore in State's food processing sector and agro forestry. ITC CEO Sanjeev Puri showed dreams of quadrupling farmers' income in the JE-hit Malkangiri district.
Above all, in Odisha's core strengths of metallurgical sector, Hindalco and Jindal Steel made bare their future investment plans in Odisha by calling the business environment in Odisha very conducive.