Industry Odisha Bureau, May 6: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today visited Mundra Port on the second day of his visit to Gujarat and proposed a strategy to join the coast with Odisha.
“India’s growth cannot remain one-sided. The next phase of industrial expansion must be powered by the East Coast,” said Majhi, while addressing industry leaders during his visit to Mundra Port. Calling for a structural shift, he proposed a ‘two-coast strategy’, urging industry leaders to integrate operations across both seaboards, leveraging western strength while tapping eastern opportunities.
“Balanced coastal development is essential for India’s long-term competitiveness. The East Coast will play a defining role in the next decade of growth,” he stated.
Drawing from the scale and efficiency of India’s western coastline, the chief minister made a strong case for accelerating development along the eastern seaboard, positioning Odisha as a natural gateway for the country’s next wave of industrial growth.
He noted that while the West Coast has emerged as a major hub for maritime trade and industrial activity, the East Coast is now at a decisive inflection point, with Odisha ready to replicate and scale similar success.
“What has been achieved on the West Coast must now be expanded on the East. Odisha offers the ecosystem, connectivity, and policy support to enable that transition,” he said.
Highlighting Odisha’s strategic access to Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Indo-Pacific region, he emphasized its growing importance in India’s global trade architecture and supply chain diversification.
The visit was led by the Chief Minister along with Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain; Additional Chief Secretary, Industries, Hemant Sharma, and senior officials.
The delegation engaged with industry stakeholders, presenting Odisha’s policy framework, infrastructure readiness, and facilitation-driven governance model.
As part of the visit, the delegation undertook a guided tour of Mundra Port via the Mundra Industrial Area and SEZ, covering key facilities including the Container Jetty and the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Jetty, demonstrating large-scale cargo handling capabilities.
The delegation also passed through the West Port area and a copper manufacturing unit, and visited solar cell and wind turbine component manufacturing facilities, reflecting the scale of integrated industrial development.
Reinforcing Odisha’s economic trajectory, the Chief Minister highlighted the state’s strong investment pipeline. He said 433 investment proposals worth Rs 8.37 lakh crore were approved, of which 148 projects worth Rs 2.86 lakh crore have already been grounded.
“In Odisha, investment intent is translating into implementation with speed and scale,” he said. The CM further underlined opportunities across logistics, chemicals, petrochemicals, and downstream manufacturing, supported by expanding infrastructure and industrial ecosystems.
Minister Swain said, “I come from the soil of Paradip, and I have personally witnessed how Paradip has played a pivotal role in shaping Odisha’s economic growth, real, visible, and transformative.”Today, we are building on that strong foundation to usher in a new phase of port-led industrialisation.
With a clear focus on timely approvals, strong facilitation, and faster grounding, Odisha is ensuring that investments translate into real economic activity, industrial expansion, and large-scale job creation,” he said.
The visit reinforced Odisha’s strategic focus on port-led industrialisation, with coastal infrastructure emerging as the backbone of its economic expansion. Through industrial corridors, logistics hubs, and Special Economic Zones (SEZs), the State is building integrated ecosystems that seamlessly connect manufacturing with global markets.
With key ports such as Dhamra, Paradip, and Gopalpur driving connectivity and industrial clustering, Odisha is steadily emerging as a high-impact growth engine on India’s east coast.
