Bhubaneswar: Odisha will showcase its investment potential in the chemical and petrochemical sector at India Chem 2026 in Mumbai on Thursday, with chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi leading the state’s outreach efforts aimed at attracting fresh investments and strengthening Odisha’s position as an emerging industrial destination.Majhi, on a two-day visit to Mumbai, will participate in the inaugural session and CEO Roundtable chaired by Union chemicals and fertilisers minister J P Nadda. The state will use the platform to highlight its investment-ready infrastructure, industry-friendly policies and growing ecosystem for chemical and petrochemical manufacturing.A major focus of the visit will be direct engagement with industry leaders. The chief minister is scheduled to hold one-to-one meetings with representatives of more than 20 leading companies to discuss potential investments, industrial expansion, downstream manufacturing and the establishment of new ventures in Odisha.The state is also expected to showcase opportunities in coal gasification projects, identified as a key emerging industrial sector. Odisha may announce a dedicated large-scale chemical industrial park to strengthen its industrial ecosystem, promote value addition and attract investments across chemical, petrochemical, plastics and packaging segments.Participating alongside Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, Odisha aims to demonstrate its capabilities to domestic and global industry stakeholders. While established chemical hubs such as Maharashtra and Gujarat have developed over decades, Odisha is positioning itself as a competitive destination by leveraging its resource base, industrial infrastructure and supportive policy framework.The chemical and petrochemical sector has emerged as a priority area for the state as it seeks to diversify its industrial base and strengthen manufacturing value chains. According to official data, Odisha has attracted 56 companies in the sector over the past two years, with proposed investments worth Rs 1.93 lakh crore and employment potential for 1.12 lakh people.Of these, 27 projects worth Rs 60,825 crore and with potential employment for 35,351 people have been launched. Recently, nine projects in Jajpur, including five inaugurations and four groundbreaking initiatives, accounted for investments of Rs 4,136 crore and are expected to generate 1,508 jobs.Additional chief secretary (industries) Hemant Sharma said Odisha is focusing on expanding its footprint in high-potential sectors such as chemicals and petrochemicals through direct engagement with industry leaders and by creating a competitive industrial ecosystem. The proposed chemical industrial park and the state’s focus on coal gasification would open new avenues for investment, value addition and employment generation, he added.
