Varanasi/Bhubaneswar: The second day of Odisha Parab 2026 in Varanasi on Sunday witnessed an Odia Diaspora Meet that brought together members of the Odia community, cultural personalities, professionals, academics and entrepreneurs to strengthen their cultural, social and economic ties with Odisha.
The meet was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida as the Chief Guest, along with Anil Rajbhar, Minister for Labour and Employment and Coordination, Government of Uttar Pradesh; Dr Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya, Secretary, Department of Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Government of Odisha; Padma Shri Sribhas Chandra Supakar; Prof Gopabandhu Mishra, President, Varanasi Odia Samaj; and Prateek Hira, Chairperson, FICCI UP Tourism Committee, as Guests of Honour.
The programme highlighted the important role of the Odia diaspora in strengthening Odisha’s cultural identity and contributing to the state’s social and economic development.
The day also featured Tourism Investor and Business-to-Government (B2G) interactions, providing a platform for government representatives, investors and industry stakeholders to discuss opportunities for collaboration and investment in Odisha’s tourism sector.
A dedicated Tourism Roadshow showcased Odisha’s rich and diverse tourism potential, with a focus on 15 master destinations, including Puri, Konark, Ratnagiri, Udayagiri, Lalitgiri, Hirakud, Chilika, Bhitarkanika and Similipal. The roadshow also highlighted investment opportunities in eco-tourism, wildlife, adventure and experiential tourism.
Odisha’s potential in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector was also showcased, along with the incentives available to investors in the tourism sector.
The event underlined the state’s broader development goals under Odisha Vision 2036 and Odisha Vision 2047, with tourism being positioned as a key driver of a prosperous, inclusive, sustainable and globally recognised Odisha.
