Bhubaneswar: Calling for a more balanced model of national growth, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday said India’s next phase of industrial expansion must be driven by the East Coast, with Odisha positioning itself as a key gateway for future economic activity.
Addressing industry leaders during his two-day visit to Gujarat, including a tour of Mundra Port, Majhi said that while the western seaboard has long dominated maritime trade and industrial development, the eastern coastline is now at a crucial turning point.
“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 the state’s strategic proximity to Southeast Asia, East Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific region.
Pitching a “two-coast strategy”, the chief minister urged industry stakeholders to integrate operations across both seaboards to leverage existing strengths while unlocking emerging opportunities in the east. He stressed that balanced coastal development is vital for India’s long-term competitiveness and said the East Coast would play a defining role in the coming decade.
Majhi, accompanied by Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain, Chief Secretary Anu Garg and senior officials, showcased Odisha’s policy framework, infrastructure readiness and facilitation-driven governance model to investors.
During the visit, the delegation toured key facilities at Mundra, including container and Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) jetties, gaining insights into large-scale cargo handling systems. They also visited industrial units in the adjoining SEZ, including copper manufacturing and renewable energy component facilities such as solar cells and wind turbine parts, reflecting integrated industrial ecosystems.
Highlighting Odisha’s recent industrial progress, Majhi said 433 investment proposals worth ₹8.37 lakh crore have been approved over the past 22 months, with 148 projects valued at ₹2.86 lakh crore already grounded.
“In Odisha, investment intent is translating into implementation with speed and scale,” he said, adding that sectors such as logistics, chemicals, petrochemicals and downstream manufacturing offer significant opportunities backed by expanding infrastructure.
An official statement said the visit reinforced Odisha’s focus on port-led industrialisation, with coastal infrastructure emerging as a key pillar of economic growth. Ports such as Dhamra, Paradip and Gopalpur are driving connectivity and industrial clustering, supported by industrial corridors, logistics hubs and Special Economic Zones.
The state, it added, is steadily positioning itself as a major growth engine on India’s East Coast.
