External affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday said India’s Look East policy has a historical origin in Odisha.

Addressing at the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2025 in Bhubaneswar, Jaishankar said: “We have spoken of the Look East policy, in many ways you can say that the policy has a historical origin in this state. The Bali yatra, that connected India to South East Asia, actually started in Odisha.”

The Bali yatra recalls Odisha’s great maritime tradition when traders from ancient Kaling used to set sail to islands like Bali, Java, Sumatra and Borneo off Indonesia
and Malaysia.

Jaishnakar said: “India was historically at the greatest point when the eastern parts of India were at the height of glory. I will tell you one of the earliest commitments in this third term of Modi government was to take practical decisions to enable the Purvodaya.”

The external affairs minister also highlighted Odisha’s potential in 3Ts — Trade, Technology and Tourism.

He said: “Odisha has a blessing in terms of resources, but resources do not automatically translate into trade. Resources need investments, facility, and connectivity... The eastern seaboard of India is going to gain crucial exposure, and connect India to the world.”

Jaishakar said the second ‘T’ is Technology. “Technology is not like a manufactured good, it has a very high element of trust in the digital era.... Today technology also offers a lot of possibilities for collaboration.”

The external affairs minister said: “Odisha’s cultural festivals, religious and archaeological sites are a reminder why we Indians consider ourselves to be in a civilised society. It is equally a living testament to developmental progress in all its dimensions.”

He called upon the NRIs and the Persons of Indian Origin to actively participate in the quest for a “Viksit Bharat”.