Bhubaneswar: The two-day conclave “Vikash Manthan 1.0 – Governance in Action” commenced on Friday at the State Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhavan, bringing together policymakers, administrators, scholars and development partners to chart Odisha’s long-term development roadmap. Organised by the Planning & Convergence Department in collaboration with the Odisha Centre of Integrated Development (OCID), the conclave has been conceptualised as a structured platform for informed deliberation, policy co-creation and sector-specific strategy formulation aligned with the vision of Viksit Odisha 2036 and the national aspiration of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The inaugural session witnessed participation from senior government officials, representatives of civil society, academia, industry leaders and development partners, reflecting a collaborative approach to shaping the State’s development trajectory.
In her keynote introductory address, Chief Secretary Anu Garg outlined Odisha’s ambitious roadmap to transform into a high-income, inclusive, climate-resilient and innovation-driven economy by 2036, coinciding with the centenary of its statehood and aligning with India’s 100 years of Independence in 2047. She highlighted that Odisha’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at current prices is estimated at ₹9.9 lakh crore in 2025–26, marking a 9.5 per cent increase over the previous year. The real growth rate of 7.9 per cent, she noted, surpasses the national average. The State’s per capita income has nearly tripled over the past decade, rising from ₹64,835 in 2015–16 to ₹1,86,761 in 2025–26.
The Chief Secretary pointed to strong sectoral performance across agriculture, industry and services. Agriculture and allied sectors continue to outperform national averages in contribution and growth. The industrial sector, contributing over 41 per cent to Gross State Value Added (GSVA), is being propelled by robust manufacturing expansion, while the services sector is projected to grow at 9.3 per cent. She also underlined significant progress in social sectors, including increased public health expenditure, a substantial rise in the education budget, expansion of digital and computer facilities in government schools, and the high placement success of the Odisha World Skill Centre. Women empowerment initiatives such as SUBHADRA and the Lakhpati Didi scheme were cited as key drivers of grassroots economic participation.
Emphasising that fiscal strength must translate into measurable outcomes, Garg stressed that growth should remain inclusive, regionally balanced and environmentally sustainable. She described Vikash Manthan 1.0 as a governance instrument rather than a ceremonial event, aimed at bridging government initiatives with academic expertise, civil society engagement and domain knowledge. Participants were urged to identify catalytic interventions, scalable innovations and structural reforms to accelerate Odisha’s progress toward 2036.
Delivering the keynote special address, Dr Prafulla Ketkar, Editor of The Organiser, underscored the need to anchor development paradigms in India’s civilisational ethos and Bharatiya knowledge systems. He described India as a “spiritual democracy” and emphasised that development must address mental, psychological, physical and spiritual dimensions. Advocating integral humanism as a holistic framework for governance, he observed that Bharat’s worldview is inherently integrated rather than binary. Stressing the role of family as a fundamental policy unit, he said Odisha’s development model must draw strength from its cultural identity and Odia Asmita, asserting that a self-defined, culturally rooted growth pathway would meaningfully contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat.
In his welcome address, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh described the conclave as a “Gyana Yagnya” — a confluence of thinkers, policymakers, implementers and scholars committed to generating transformative ideas for the State. Referring to India’s civilisational ethos as a cultural and spiritual foundation, he remarked that such collective deliberations would churn out policy “Amrut” to guide Odisha’s developmental journey.
A detailed video presentation on the Vision Document 2036 and 2047 was showcased by the Planning & Convergence Department, outlining strategic direction and thematic priorities for achieving the goals of Viksit Odisha and Viksit Bharat.
The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Rana Prithviraj Singh, Organising Secretary, OCID (Knowledge and Research Partner), who expressed gratitude to dignitaries, participants and collaborating institutions for contributing to the deliberative platform.
Vikash Manthan 1.0 marks the beginning of an institutionalised annual forum designed to promote transparent data review, collaborative governance and accelerated transformation of Odisha into an inclusive, resilient and innovation-driven State by 2036, aligned with national priorities for 2047.
