Odisha secures Rs 8,417 crore investment proposals in Dubai, projects could create 14,310 jobs

The Odisha government secured eight investment proposals worth Rs 8,417 crore and signed five memoranda of understanding on the second day of its investor outreach programme in the United Arab Emirates, with the proposed projects expected to generate employment for about 14,310 people, officials said on Thursday.

The agreements were signed in Dubai in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi as his government sought to attract overseas capital into a diverse range of industries. The engagements covered information technology and IT-enabled services, real estate, logistics, food and agro-processing, steel and downstream industries, rare earths, chemicals, aluminium and the circular economy.

The second-day commitments came after the Odisha government announced investment proposals worth around Rs 2.10 lakh crore on Wednesday, substantially raising the potential value of projects discussed during the UAE outreach.

Majhi meets UAE economy minister

Majhi held a series of meetings with UAE government representatives, global investors, industry executives and business organisations in Dubai. Among his key engagements was a meeting with UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, who also chairs the Council of International Investments.

The discussions focused on expanding economic ties between Odisha and the UAE and identifying opportunities for Emirati companies to establish projects in the eastern state. Majhi highlighted Odisha’s industrial ecosystem, natural resources, infrastructure and investment policies while inviting UAE-based businesses to examine opportunities across emerging and traditional sectors.

The Chief Minister has sought to position Odisha not merely as a destination for mineral-based industries but as an investment hub spanning technology, manufacturing, logistics, food processing and newer sectors. The inclusion of rare earths and the circular economy among areas discussed during the Dubai engagements reflects the state’s attempt to broaden its industrial base.

The government said the proposed investments could create 14,310 jobs if they progress to implementation, making employment generation a significant component of the outreach.

Rs 2.10 lakh crore proposals on first day

The latest commitments follow a much larger investment announcement on the opening day of the UAE programme. Odisha said it had signed an MoU covering 14 proposed projects involving investments of around Rs 2.10 lakh crore with Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company (IHC) and the Adani Group.

Those proposals cover sectors including energy, petrochemicals, metals, logistics and other industrial activities. Taken together with Thursday’s announcements, the outreach has produced proposed investments exceeding Rs 2.18 lakh crore, although the projects remain subject to their eventual conversion from proposals and MoUs into investments on the ground.

The UAE visit forms part of the Majhi government’s broader effort to attract domestic and international investors following the Utkarsh Odisha-Make in Odisha Conclave held in Bhubaneswar. The state has been promoting its mineral resources, coastline and port infrastructure alongside industrial land and policy incentives to attract large projects.

Focus shifts to implementation

For Odisha, the longer-term test will be the conversion of investment commitments into operational projects. Large investor summits and overseas roadshows frequently produce substantial headline commitments, but implementation depends on land availability, regulatory approvals, infrastructure, financing and commercial viability.

The state government has said it is focusing on facilitating projects after investment commitments are received and improving ease of doing business for companies entering Odisha.

Majhi’s Dubai meetings are intended to establish a longer-term investment relationship with the UAE rather than limit the engagement to individual agreements. With Gulf investors increasingly looking towards infrastructure, logistics, energy, food security and technology opportunities in India, Odisha is seeking a larger share of that capital by presenting itself as an eastern gateway for manufacturing and trade.