Bhubaneswar, September 13: Odisha has received investment proposals worth Rs 2.43 lakh crore during Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, with the proposed projects expected to create 6,18,725 direct jobs and around nine lakh employment opportunities, including indirect employment.

Speaking to reporters at Biju Patnaik International Airport here on Sunday after returning from the UAE, Majhi said his government was making concerted efforts to create employment opportunities within Odisha and secure a better future for the state’s youth.

He said the government’s priority was to ensure that young people could find dignified employment in their home state after completing their education.

Majhi described the UAE visit as a significant step in Odisha’s ongoing industrialisation drive, which has gathered momentum over the past two years.

Following the Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave held in Bhubaneswar in January 2025, a dedicated state government team has been visiting major business destinations, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Gujarat and Singapore, to attract investments to Odisha, he said.

“These efforts are accelerating the state’s economic growth and creating extensive employment opportunities,” Majhi said.

The Chief Minister, accompanied by the Industries Minister and senior government officials, visited the UAE from September 8 to 12 and held meetings with investors and industry representatives in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on September 9, 10 and 11.

According to the state government, the delegation conducted 52 business meetings, comprising six roundtable discussions and 46 one-on-one meetings, involving around 400 industry leaders and representatives.

During the visit, eight Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs)were signed and16 investment intents were received, translating into investment proposals worth Rs 2,43,162 crore.

The proposed investments are expected to generate 6,18,725 direct employment opportunities, while the total employment potential, including indirect jobs, is estimated at around nine lakh.

Majhi said that with the addition of investment proposals worth more than Rs 20 lakh crore secured earlier, Odisha’s cumulative investment proposals have now reached around Rs 22.5 lakh crore.

During his UAE visit, Majhi also metAbdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of the International Investment Council, and Syed Basar Shueb, Managing Director of IHC.

Majhi said an MoU had been signed for14 new projects in Odisha, building on the partnership between IHC and the Adani Group.

The state is also working to establish industrial units linked to the companies’ integrated aluminium projects in Rayagada and Sundargarh districts, he said.

The Chief Minister said interactions with successful Odia entrepreneurs and members of the Odia diaspora in the UAE would further strengthen Odisha’s business and cultural ties with the country.

He reiterated the state government’s vision of building a‘Samruddha Odisha’ by 2036and transforming Odisha into a $500-billion economy within the next decade.

The government is simultaneously focusing on skill development and training for educated youth so they are employment-ready for the factories and offices expected to be established through the new investments, Majhi said.

“Following the initial success, the government’s next objective is to swiftly implement these investment proposals and MoUs and commence production, thereby creating significant employment opportunities in the state in the near future,” Majhi said.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallik, and Government Chief Whip Saroj Kumar Pradhan were among those present at the airport.

Several MLAs, former MLA Priyadarshi Mishra, social worker Jagannath Pradhan and others also felicitated the Chief Minister upon his return.