As we step into a new year on Pana Sankranti, it’s a moment of reckoning for the people of Odisha. Rooted in tradition, this day is also a reminder to reimagine the state’s future, which is inching closer to celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2036 as a state that was formed linguistically on April 1, 1936.
Viksit Odisha, which was envisioned in lines of Viksit Bharat, is no longer about promise; it is about performance under a ticking clock. Here are five high-impact innovations that can realistically steer Odisha towards ‘Viksit Odisha 2036’—grounded in its economic strengths and emerging policy direction.
Green energy
At a time when the planet is grueling under the impact of climate change, rising temperatures, green energy has become a necessity to combat climate change, reduce fossil fuel dependence and ensure energy security. Under these circumstances, Odisha must seize the green energy opportunity. With its vast coastline and solar potential, the state is uniquely positioned to lead India’s green hydrogen revolution. What sets it apart is its integration advantage—ports like Paradip Port, proximity to steel and fertiliser industries and strong policy incentives, including power subsidies for 20 years. While others lead in scale or capital, Odisha can leapfrog by building end-to-end green clusters—linking renewable energy, hydrogen production, green manufacturing, and exports—positioning itself as India’s most strategic clean energy hub.
AI-driven mining
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping every sector—from healthcare to manufacturing—by enhancing efficiency, precision, and decision-making. For a resource-rich state like Odisha, it’s time intelligence is brought into its mining sector, and this can be achieved by synchronizing AI in the mining sector. AI offers not only a transformative opportunity to modernise mining, agriculture and governance but also enables smarter growth, higher productivity and a transition towards a future-ready, innovation-driven economy. The integration of artificial intelligence, automation, and advanced metallurgy can transform mining into a high-efficiency, high-safety and high-value industry.
Semiconductor & electronics manufacturing
Odisha must bet big on electronics and semiconductor ecosystems. As global supply chains diversify, India has a narrow but real window to position itself as a manufacturing alternative. Odisha, with its improving infrastructure and policy push, can emerge as an eastern hub for chip design, assembly, and electronics manufacturing. This shift would not only create jobs but fundamentally alter the state’s economic profile—from industrial to technological.
Smart agriculture
Agriculture remains central to Odisha, employing nearly 60% of its workforce but contributing around 20% to GSDP. The state leads in rice production and is a key player in millets under India’s nutrition push. However, low productivity and climate risks highlight the urgent need for modernisation and value addition. Agriculture must evolve from subsistence to smart enterprise. Climate volatility and market fluctuations demand a new approach—precision farming, AI-driven advisories, and large-scale food processing. Odisha’s success with millets offers a glimpse of what is possible: combining nutrition, sustainability, and market demand. Scaling such models can double farmer incomes while positioning the state as a leader in future foods.
Global trade opening
The state, which was known for its maritime trade in ancient times, should now focus on leveraging its geography. Ports like Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur can be used as strategic assets by developing smart logistics systems and multimodal connectivity. The proposed Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Paradip Economic Region (BCPPER) can act as eastern India’s global trade gateway through port-led industrialisation.
On Pana Sankranti, as households prepare the pana that symbolises balance, Odisha should rethink its policy by balancing between growth and sustainability, tradition and technology, ambition and execution.
If Odisha aligns policy, industry, and innovation with urgency, 2036 won’t be symbolic—it will be decisive: the year the state claims its place as a confident, competitive, and truly developed economy.
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