Bhubaneswar: CM Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday launched the Go-East platform, a dedicated fast-track mechanism to attract, prioritise and accelerate strategic investments from eastern and north-eastern India, during the Eastern Regional Council Meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Bhubaneswar.Majhi said Go-East stands for “Government of Odisha – Eastern Investment Accelerator and Special Task Force.” The initiative will focus on priority handling, faster approvals and quicker grounding of projects, along with dedicated relationship management.“Through this new initiative, industrial groups from eastern and north-eastern states will get wider opportunities to invest in Odisha while preserving their industrial base and market presence in their home states,” he said.He expressed confidence that Odisha, which has made significant progress in industrialisation over the past two years, will emerge as the leading hub of industry and growth in eastern India within the next five years.Under the initiative, a dedicated Go-East Cell will be set up within the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited (IPICOL). Majhi also said a separate Go-Swift module would be developed for real-time monitoring and tracking of investment processes and approval status.He said the initiative would help bring major capital investment to Odisha’s border districts and facilitate the development of new industrial growth centres, transforming the local economic landscape.“Go-East is a special single-window mechanism and task force for eastern states. Investors from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh will get special treatment. A dedicated help desk has been created for them at IPICOL, and their projects will not have to wait for the single-window meeting. They will get deemed approval,” additional chief secretary Hemant Sharma said.The chief minister also announced key amendments to the state’s Industrial Policy Resolution 2022. The changes are expected to open major opportunities for non-mineral-based industries in 15 key districts, including Balangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Kandhamal, Boudh and Gajapati, which are considered economically backward and underdeveloped. These districts will be brought under the “Thrust Sector” category to support balanced regional development across the state.Industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain, CII Eastern Region deputy chairman Rudra Chatterjee, senior govt officials and CII members were present.
