India’s electric vehicle (EV) revolution has found an unlikely champion in the east. Recent vehicle registration data has placed Odisha among the top five EV-performing states. It marks a significant milestone for the state, as it has traditionally been associated with mining and heavy industries rather than clean mobility. The achievement is not merely about selling more electric vehicles; it signals Odisha’s emergence as a key player in India’s green transition. According to official data, at least 1.61 lakh electric vehicles were registered in Odisha by March 2025, representing 1.35% of the state’s total vehicle fleet. The state contributes around…
Author: P Das
In a major step towards expanding the use of coal beyond conventional power generation, Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy recently announced that Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Coal India Limited (CIL) are jointly investing ₹ 25,000 crore in a coal gasification project in Odisha. The investment marks far more than an industrial investment. It signals a fundamental shift in India’s approach to coal—from merely burning it to generating electricity to converting it into high-value industrial products such as fertilisers, chemicals, methanol and synthetic fuels. For Odisha, however, the real opportunity lies beyond the ₹25,000-crore investment itself.…
Odisha’s recent push to attract large-scale investments in mining and mineral processing, including approvals for new industrial projects and the government’s emphasis on value-added manufacturing, has reopened an important question: Can the state’s vast chromite reserves become the foundation for an MSME-led manufacturing revolution rather than merely supporting mining and ferrochrome production? Odisha sits on 96% of India’s chromite resources, making it the undisputed leader in the country’s chromium economy. Most of these deposits are concentrated in the Sukinda Valley of Jajpur district, one of the world’s largest chromite-bearing belts. While India is among the world’s leading producers of chromite,…
The Odisha government has intensified its mineral development strategy by targeting the auction of 34 mineral blocks, including several iron ore and manganese blocks, in 2026-27, while simultaneously pushing for greater steel capacity and downstream industrial growth. The state’s renewed mining push comes at a time when India plans to significantly expand steel production to meet infrastructure, housing and manufacturing demand. Odisha, which contributes over half of India’s iron ore production, is naturally positioned to become the backbone of this expansion. For decades, Odisha has been celebrated as India’s mineral powerhouse. It accounts for 55% of India’s iron ore production,…
As the world races towards a low-carbon economy, aluminium is increasingly being called the “metal of the future.” Aluminium as a metal underpins everything— from aircraft and high-speed rails to solar panels, transmission lines and military hardware. Odisha possesses the raw material that can help India become a global aluminium powerhouse. Home to around 1.8–2.2 billion tonnes of bauxite resources, the state accounts for nearly half to almost 60 per cent of India’s total reserves and resources. No other state comes close. Andhra Pradesh holds roughly 15–18 per cent, followed by Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, each with significantly smaller…
For an average Indian, cinema is far more than a weekend escape. For over a century, films have not merely entertained Indians; they have shaped aspirations, influenced language and fashion, preserved regional identities and projected India’s soft power across the globe. Equally significant is cinema’s economic footprint. The film industry sustains millions of livelihoods—from writers, actors and technicians to hospitality, tourism and digital media, making it an important pillar of the country’s creative economy. Around the world, cinema has emerged as one of the most powerful instruments of soft power. Hollywood contributes billions of dollars annually to the American economy.…
As part of its efforts to strengthen its sericulture industry, the government of Odisha has drawn up an ambitious plan to invest Rs 274 crore on the development of all four varieties of silk produced in the state. The project, which will span the next five years, will also take steps to establish serisheds for cocoon rearing, along with introducing insurance coverage for sericulture farmers. The decision to invest heavily in the silk sector comes at a crucial moment for India’s textile economy. India is the second-largest producer of silk in the world after China, accounting for nearly 40,000 metric…
As India accelerates towards becoming a $5 trillion economy, the race is no longer just about building roads, ports and railways; it is equally about creating the manufacturing ecosystem that powers this infrastructure revolution. Against this backdrop, the foundation of India’s first private rail wheel and axle manufacturing facility at Khordha is more than another industrial project. It is a milestone in India’s quest for self-reliance in critical railway components and a defining moment in Odisha’s industrial transformation. With an investment of ₹2,500 crore and an annual production capacity of 100,000 wheelsets, the plant is set to emerge as one…
As the uncertainty in global energy markets loom large—from the Russia-Ukraine conflict to tensions in the Middle East and disruptions in key shipping routes, India’s proposed Strategic Petroleum Reserve at Chandikhol in Odisha assumes national importance. The long-delayed crude oil reserve at Chandikhol in Jajpur district received a major boost, following the signing of strategic collaborative agreement between the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the UAE. The state government has handed over land for what is set to become the country’s largest underground crude…
In a bid to fast-track tourism-led economic growth, Odisha Cabinet recently approved a ‘Land Bank for Hospitality Infrastructure’ scheme. It aims at creating a ready pool for hotels, resorts and allied facilities across the state. The initiative, comprising both private and government land parcels worth around 5,500 acres with an estimated investment of Rs 1,500 crore will be identified and developed. According to officials, the key tourism destinations, include Chilika, Konark, Puri (Shamuka), Dhauli, Hirakud, Satkosia, Similipal, Bhitarkanika, Daringbadi and the Buddhist circuit, among others. More locations may be added based on tourism potential and destination-specific requirements. Tourism contributes nearly…