Bhubaneswar, Jun 26: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday unveiled a new industrial initiative titled ‘Go East’, aimed at accelerating investments from eastern and northeastern states into Odisha. The announcement was made at the CII Eastern Regional Council Meeting 2026 in Bhubaneswar.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the Go East platform stands for Government of Odisha Eastern Investment Accelerator and Special Task Force. It is designed to attract industrial groups from neighbouring states while ensuring they retain their base and markets at home.

CM Majhi emphasised that Odisha has witnessed rapid industrial progress in the past two years and expressed confidence that the state will emerge as the leading hub of industrialisation in eastern India within five years. A high-level Special Task Force will be constituted to fast-track investment projects, while a dedicated Go East Cell will be set up within IPICOL. Additionally, a specialised Go Swift module will enable real-time monitoring of approvals and processes.

The initiative is expected to drive significant investments into Odisha’s border districts, creating new industrial growth centres and transforming local economies. Majhi also announced amendments to the Industrial Policy Resolution 2022, granting Thrust Sector status to 15 economically backward districts, including Balangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Kandhamal, Boudh, and Gajapati, to encourage non-mineral-based industries.
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Highlighting Odisha’s vision of Samruddha Odisha 2036 aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047, Majhi said the state is moving beyond a mineral-based economy to focus on steel, aluminium, chemicals, petrochemicals, semiconductors, and electronics.

Since June 2024, Odisha has approved 477 projects worth Rs9.5 lakh crore, expected to generate employment for six lakh people. Of these, 12 projects involving investments of over Rs3.11 lakh crore are nearing inauguration. Majhi noted that reforms such as Deregulation 1.0 and 2.0 have reduced the time required to establish industries from 400 days to less than 160, with a target of under 100 days.