Kolkata: Odisha urges apparel & textile investors to set shop in state in roadshow

Addressing a Roadshow in Kolkata focusing on Textiles, which is a lead-up to the third Make in Odisha Conclave which is happening in November – December 2022, the minister exhorted investors to go to Odisha and check the ecosystem and the investor-friendly policy support for potential investors.

She said the Odisha government has taken proactive measures to broad base the industrial ecosystem in the state, including the identification of priority and focus sectors, development of sectoral policies, and development of sectoral industrial parks and infrastructure among others.

The state government is developing a Petroleum, Chemical, and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) in Paradeep with IOCL as the anchor tenant, she said.

"I would urge investors in the technical textile sector to come to Odisha and explore our latest offerings in this geography," Sahu said.

The government is developing a technical textile park in association with Indian Oil with a state-of-the-art facility and best-in-class facilitation at Bhadrak, which is close to Kolkata and West Bengal in general, she highlighted.

Odisha's Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary said it is interesting that several decades ago, Odisha had a large number of cooperatives in the spinning, power loom, and textile mills space which were supported and promoted by the Government.

"Most of them were closed down, and learning from that experience, the Odisha government is looking to create enabling conditions and leave it to professionals to do the actual business."

While Odisha has always been known for its magnificent handloom industry, the government is now firmly focusing on technical textiles as well. She mentioned the proposed Mega Textile Park at Gopalpur in a 1000 acres land parcel with all international standard common facilities for the units in the Park under Centre's MITRA scheme. 

She added: “Make in Odisha Conclave’22, our flagship investment summit has been conceptualized to not just showcase these vast existing and emerging opportunities in Odisha but also to build a platform for global leaders to discuss the future of business, trade and commerce, skilling and much more.”

Director of Odisha's Directorate of Textiles & Handlooms Susanta Kumar Dash said that the state has built sectoral industrial parks like a technical textile park, mega textile parks etc. and investment regions with plug-and-play facilities and best-in-class infrastructure, simplified processes, and instituted one of the best single window systems for investor facilitation, Go-Swift.

Dash said that the recently started World Skills Centre in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Institute of Technical Education Services (ITEES), Singapore is India’s first and one-of-its-kind skill premier institutes to impart advanced skills and create globally employable youth in the State.

While the Roadshow was attended by more than 150 delegates, representatives of 15 textile and apparel industries had a one-to-one meeting with the senior government delegation from the HT&H Department, Government of Odisha.