Industry Odisha Bureau, Jul 18: Odisha has been ranked among the Top Five States in the country in the Investment Friendliness Index (IFI) 2026 released by NITI Aayog on Friday.
The State has secured the top 5 position nationally with an overall score of 52.4, placing it alongside Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Goa in the category of “Top Performers.”
The report identifies these five states as leaders in fostering a conducive environment for investments.
The Investment Friendliness Index is India’s first comprehensive, evidence-based framework for evaluating the investment ecosystem across all States and Union Territories.
Developed by NITI Aayog, the Index assesses performance across eight critical pillars—Infrastructure, Business Climate, Resources, Government Policy, Regulatory Ease, Institutional Environment, Financial Health and Environmental Resilience—to benchmark states and promote competitive and cooperative federalism.
The recognition reflects Odisha’s consistent focus on policy reforms, industrial infrastructure, ease of doing business, investor facilitation, and transparent governance.
Over the past few years, the State has undertaken a series of transformative initiatives to simplify regulatory processes, strengthen industrial infrastructure, develop sector-specific policies and provide end-to-end support to investors through a robust single-window mechanism.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi congratulated the people of Odisha, industry partners and all departments associated with investment promotion on this achievement.
Congratulating Team Odisha, the Chief Minister said, “Odisha’s recognition among the top five investment-friendly states is a matter of immense pride for every Odia. This achievement reflects our collective commitment to transparent governance, industry-friendly policies and efficient service delivery. We thank our industry partners for their continued trust in Odisha.”
“This recognition is not our destination but a milestone. We will continue to undertake reforms, strengthen infrastructure and create an even more enabling ecosystem so that Odisha emerges as one of the most preferred investment destinations in India and globally,” the CM said.
Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain said being recognised among the top five states in NITI Aayog’s Investment Friendliness Index is a strong validation of Odisha’s reform-oriented approach towards industrial development.
Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Majhi, the State is committed to creating a responsive, transparent and globally competitive investment ecosystem, he said.
“We remain focused on accelerating industrial growth, enabling faster project implementation, nurturing skilled talent and building world-class infrastructure. We invite investors from across the world to partner with Odisha and be a part of our growth story,” the Minister stated.
The recognition further reinforces Odisha’s emergence as one of India’s fastest-growing industrial destinations. Backed by progressive policies, strategic location, abundant natural resources, skilled workforce, expanding logistics infrastructure and proactive investor facilitation, Odisha continues to attract investments across sectors including advanced manufacturing, metals, chemicals, petrochemicals, textiles& apparel, food processing, electronics, renewable energy, green hydrogen, IT and Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
Building on this recognition, the State will continue to pursue reforms that enhance competitiveness, improve investor experience and position Odisha as the preferred destination for domestic and global investments, contributing meaningfully to the vision of Viksit Odisha and Viksit Bharat @2047.
