Odisha, along with many other states across India, is likely to witness an unusually long summer and irregular rainfall this year, mostly in April and May, said IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra recently. Sonepur, Titilagarh, Bolangir, and Bhawanipatna are already recording temperatures over 35°C in the first week of March 2026. As the state braces up for a long and prolonged summer this year, climatologists, while blaming the condition on climate change, have warned that it will also affect the seasonal crops. Climate change is rapidly emerging as a core economic challenge for Odisha, which till date is largely dependent…
Author: P Das
Bhubaneswar, March 7: The Odisha government has collected revenue worth Rs 6754.96 crore from export of iron ore during the financial year 2022-23 to 2024-25. According to official data, the State has collected a total revenue of Rs 683.98 crore during the financial year 2022-23, which was increased to Rs 3596.62 crore in the financial year of 2023-24. During the last fiscal year, the State has earned a total revenue of Rs 2474.36 crore. The State dispatched 134.57 million tonnes (MTs), 167.61 MTs and 169.01 MTs of iron ore during the financial years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively. Of these…
Odisha, which till recently, was dependent on coal-based power generation and traditional electricity infrastructure, is rewriting history in the energy sector by diversifying its resources and moving on to solar power to build a more sustainable power system. Taking full advantage of PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the state has not only combined environmental goals with economic pragmatism but has also inspired other states to follow its policy on solar energy. The case in point is Delhi. Recently, government of Delhi announced that it is studying Odisha’s Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA) model to formulate a new solar policy in the…
In a major development, Commerce and Transport minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena recently confirmed the discovery of gold reserves in three districts of Odisha—Deogarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj. Replying to a question posed by an MLA in the Odisha State Assembly, the minister informed that gold deposits have been found in the Adas–Rampalli area of Deogarh district, the Gopur–Jaladihi belt of Keonjhar district, and the Madansahi–Kanjia area in Mayurbhanj district. Detailed exploration work is currently underway in these locations, he added. At a time when the yellow metal is becoming a yardstick for the country’s economic growth with prices of gold touching…
In a major boost to Odisha’s bioeconomy, Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati announced an investment of Rs 1,113 crore— a comprehensive plan to strengthen research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in biotechnology. Addressing the members of state assembly during the inaugural session of Budget on February 17, the governor outlined the policy framework of the government that aims to accelerate scientific advancement in the state. Titled ‘Development of Biotechnology’, the ambitious project spanning five years (2025-26 to 2029-30), which comprises 17 sub-schemes, will promote higher education, research, and infrastructure development in the most promising areas of biotechnology. It will also develop and strengthen…
With an eye on Viksit Odisha 2036, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also holds the portfolio of finance minister, presented a ₹3.10 lakh crore budget for 2026-27 in the state Assembly. Interestingly, this year’s budget marks a pragmatic shift. From a largely infrastructure-led expansion that was the highlight of last fiscal year’s budget, this year’s financial statement is driven by welfare-driven growth model, focusing on household. In simple terms, the latest budget addresses directly to the daily concerns of common man— income security, healthcare access, education for daughters and job creation. In a state, which is marked by migration, agrarian…
In a bid to showcase Odisha’s vision and preparedness in Artificial Intelligence (AI), the state government of Odisha unveiled an implementation-driven plan at the Odisha Pavilion of recently concluded Global AI Impact summit that was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Addressing the media at the Odisha pavilion, additional chief secretary, Electronics and IT, Vishal Dev said the state is focusing on execution rather than announcements. “We are institutionalising AI through clear governance, dedicated budgets and execution frameworks. Odisha is moving from being a technology adopter to a technology creator, ready to partner with industry, startups and global players to…
Odisha, known for its vast mineral resources, has always been seen through the prism of its mineral potential. Its economic story reflected its mineral potential, megaprojects, mining extraction and manufacturing. However, in the last few years, the state has quietly yet affirmatively witnessed a shift—the rise of startups, which is transforming the eastern state of India to move from a resource economy to an innovation economy. With over 2,055 recognised startups operating across diverse sectors, a dedicated startup fund, participation of women players, the Odisha Startup story has shown promise, despite entering the arena much later than states like Karnataka,…
In a bid to ensure better credit facility, market access and qualitative infrastructure, the industry bodies representing the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector have urged the Odisha government to increase budgetary allocation for the segment, ahead of Budget 2026-27, which will be presented in the Odisha Assembly on February 20. Higher funding is essential to strengthen the MSME ecosystem, especially in rural, tribal and backward districts, where small businesses play a key role in employment generation, the entrepreneurs representing the industry bodies argued. It is noteworthy that in 2025-26 Budget, the allocation for the MSME sector stood at a little over ₹1,500…
The India-US trade deal that jeopardized the bilateral relations between world’s two largest democracies has finally been sealed after months of tariff threats, steep deadlines and pressure from Washington. The agreement, announced by US President Donald Trump on social media last week following a call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marks the end of series of closed-door negotiations and tensions that has surged following a 50% tariff by the US on India. Key highlights of the deal Following the deal, the US has slashed the tariff on Indian goods to 18%, down from a staggering peak of 50%. Union Commerce Minister…