Patnaik to woo Japanese investors during week-long trip

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will Monday embark on a week-long tour to Japan in a bid to attract investments for the eastern state in various sectors, officials said.

During the visit, Patnaik is likely to attend programmes in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka and return on April 9, they said.

“We are optimistic about wooing Japanese investors as they are well acquainted with Odisha. Apart from a stable government, we have vast natural resources and business-friendly policies,” the state’s Industries and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Pratap Keshari Deb said.

Odisha will seek Japanese investments in sectors like tourism, food processing, auto components, electronics, chemicals & petrochemicals, mining, metals and information technology, the officials said.

The trip is a part of the state’s efforts to be the country’s leading investment destination, a release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office said. A high-level delegation led by Patnaik will begin the tour from Tuesday, it said. The delegation will conduct one-to-one meetings with potential investors, organise the ‘Odisha Business Meet Tokyo 2023’, and hold interactive meetings with the Odia diaspora in Japan, the release said.

It will also seek avenues of collaboration in areas of skill development, start-ups, tourism and training sporting talents. Japan had earlier partnered with the state in 2018 and 2022 during the ‘Make in Odisha’ conclave.