By Ashok Kumar Panda
Bhubaneswar, Jan 28
Bharat is on a path of development driven by the aspirations of crores of people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.Inaugurating the Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave 2025 at Janata Maidan on Tuesday, Modi emphasized that AI stands for both Artificial Intelligence and the Aspiration of India, which is the country’s strength. He noted that aspirations grow when people’s needs are met, and the past decade has empowered crores of citizens, benefiting the nation.The Prime Minister highlighted that Odisha represents this aspiration, describing the state as outstanding and symbolizing the optimism and originality of New India.
Modi further observed that Odisha is becoming one of India’s leading States pertaining to industries, including food processing, petrochemicals, port-led development, fisheries, IT, edutech, textiles, tourism, mining, and green energy.Addressing investors, he urged them to seize the opportunity to invest in Odisha’s development journey, assuring them that their investments would lead to unprecedented success. “This is Modi’s guarantee,” he stated.Noting that this was the largest business summit in Odisha to date, the PM said the Make in Odisha Conclave 2025 had attracted five to six times more investors than previous editions. He congratulated the people and the Government of Odisha for organizing such a grand event. “Eastern India is a growth engine in the development of the country, and Odisha plays a significant role in this,” he asserted. He added that historical data reveals the remarkable contributions of Eastern India when India played a major role in global growth.
The PM noted the region’s past prominence, with significant industrial hubs, ports, and trade centers, and praised Odisha’s historical participation in this growth. “Odisha used to be an important center in South-East Asian trade, with its ports serving as gateways to India,” Modi remarked. Recalling the recent visit of the President of Indonesia, Modi mentioned that the President remarked about traces of Odisha being in his DNA. The Prime Minister said that Odisha is now reviving its glorious heritage in the 21st century and highlighted ASEAN countries’ interest in strengthening trade and cultural connections with the state. He emphasized that the region is witnessing unprecedented opportunities since independence. Refering to the recent visit of president of Singapore Modi pointed out that he expressed enthusiasm about the state’s potential for collaboration. The prime minister focused on Eco and Adventurous Tourism with particular reference to tourism potential in Odisha.We have also given lot emphasis to the development of railways and highways in the State to augment, communication facilities in Odisha. He appealed to the business conglomerates to invest in Odisha and be a part of the growth phenomena.