Odisha woos Japanese investors

Appreciating the support provided by the Odisha government to Japanese investors, Suzuki expressed hope that the recent industrial and developmental progress in the state would be more helpful in attracting investments from Japanese companies.

Urging Japanese firms to come to Odisha, the state government Thursday gave assurance that team Odisha is ever ready to facilitate and handhold investors of that country for their proposed investments in the coastal state. A delegation from Japan is on a visit to the state along with Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to explore and discuss various partnership opportunities in Odisha. Addressing a target-oriented seminar between industry delegates from Japan and the Central government here, state Energy and MSME minister D S Mishra said in his keynote address, "Japan has been a treasured partner of India and Odisha. Our state under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is committed to building an everlasting relationship with Japan both in industrial and cultural spheres".

Many Odia people have made Japan their home and Japanese people and artistes like Masako Ono have become a part of the state's culture, the minister said.

Masako Ono is an acclaimed Odissi dancer who is based at Bhubaneswar since 2001 as a professional dancer and yoga teacher. Odisha Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra said that the industrial collaboration with Japan has been very successful in the last years. Japanese investors like Arcelor Mittal, Nippon Steels, TRL Krosaki have made big success strides in Odisha. The state is now a preferred destination of investment for the Japanese, he said.

Highlighting that the state machinery is very fast in hand-holding and facilitating the investors, Mohapatra said the officers operating at different levels from the state to the district, tahasil and the blocks are part of Odisha's growth story.

The state government would ensure all kinds of proactive support to the Japanese investors not only from initiation to the commissioning but also for their continued smooth operation, the chief secretary said. Addressing the delegation Shringla said, "The case for Japanese investment in Odisha is well made. The robust infrastructure, strong political will and enabling bureaucracy coupled with the natural resources are great strengths of Odisha". He said that the Centre would provide all required support for successful investments in Odisha.

Presenting Odisha as a land of opportunities, Principal Secretary of Industries Hemant Sharma said that the state has been a leader in attracting investments for its natural resources, ease of doing business, and facilitating legal framework. "Industry and service sectors are two large sectors contributing around 80 per cent of GDP of the state," he said. Sharma outlined the scope for Japanese investment in steel, steel downstream, aluminum downstream, chemicals, petrochemicals, seafood processing, electronics, and automobile manufacturing. He also explained the process of the approval and commissioning of the industries through Go-Swift portal and single window system in the state.

The Japanese delegation had recently visited Odisha under the leadership of Satoshi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to India. Appreciating the support provided by the Odisha government to Japanese investors, Suzuki expressed hope that the recent industrial and developmental progress in the state would be more helpful in attracting investments from Japanese companies. The chairman, managing directors, and the chief executives of industry leaders like Arcelor Mittal, Nippon Steel, TRL Krosaki, Tata Group, Aditya Birla, Indo-Nissin Foods, Reliance, and Mind Tree shared their experience in Odisha with potential investors of Japan.

They appreciated the industrial peace, political stability, robust infrastructure, rail, highway, air, and port connectivity available in the state. At least ten potential investors from big industrial houses of Japan participated in the seminar and interacted with the senior officers of Odisha.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)