Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday met a number of industrialists, including founder and chairman of Vedanta Resources Ltd Anil Agarwal, in Mumbai and urged them to invest in the state.

Majhi was in Mumbai to attend a biennial international expo and conference organised by the department of chemicals and petrochemicals under the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers.

Majhi discussed Vedanta’s downstream expansion of the aluminium business and manufacturing units in other mineral-based industries in Odisha with Agarwal. Odisha’s industry minister Sampad Chandra Swain and other senior officials were
also present.

Delivering his address at the conference, Majhi said: “Odisha is poised to be at the forefront of this new journey towards a Viksit Bharat. Our state is ready to play a key role in driving India’s industrial growth.”

He added: “Odisha’s chemicals and petrochemicals ecosystem is built on a solid foundation with the presence of companies like IOCL, Paradeep Phosphates and IFFCO, among others. We have developed world-class infrastructure that caters to the needs of industries looking to invest and grow. PCPIR Paradeep is driving Odisha’s ambitions in this sector.”

The chief minister said Odisha had already seen significant investments from the country’s leading companies in the chemicals and allied sectors. “Chemical companies like Grasim, Berger Paints, Shalimar Paints and plastic sector leaders such as Supreme, Ashirvad, Astral, Syntex and Shrichakra Polyplast have expanded their operations in the state, contributing to the growth of downstream industries and creating opportunities across the value chain,” he said.

“As global demand for chemicals continues to rise, Odisha is well-positioned to play a key role in meeting this demand, not just for India, but for the world,” he added.

Majhi invited the industrialists to be a part of “Utkarsh Odisha: Make in Odisha Conclave 2025”, the state’s flagship Global Investors Summit in Bhubaneswar, to be held January 28 and 29.