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With growing economic and strategic cooperation between India and Japan opening new avenues for bilateral investment, Odisha is looking to deepen its industrial partnership with the East Asian nation and attract fresh investment as a 60-member Japanese delegation begins a three-day visit to the state on Tuesday.
The visit, the largest ever by a Japanese delegation to Odisha, is expected to provide a major impetus to investment promotion, industrial collaboration and institutional cooperation between the two sides.
Japanese companies have established a presence in the state across steel, refractories, ceramics, food processing and engineering. While Indo-Nissin Foods operates a manufacturing facility at Khordha, TRL Krosaki, backed by Japan's Krosaki Harima Corporation, has an established manufacturing operation at Belpahar.
Among others, TYK Ceramics, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, Yokohama Rubber, IHI Corporation, JFE Steel and Nippon Steel have committed investments worth over ₹80,000 crore.
Officials said work is underway on a 12 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) steel plant by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India in Kendrapada district, with a proposed investment of over ₹1 trillion, and JFE Steel has entered into a 50:50 joint venture with JSW Steel for the expansion of the Sambalpur steelworks, where JFE Steel has committed around ₹15,750 crore.
While India's ACME Group and Japan's IHI Corporation have signed a cooperation agreement for three green-energy projects in Odisha involving a combined proposed investment of ₹67,000 crore, Japan's Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company (MGC) and ACME Green Molecules Business have signed a binding long-term purchase and sale agreement valued at an estimated $1 billion for the annual supply of 100,000 tonnes of green methanol.
Similarly, the Yokohama Group has committed a capital investment of $130 million to build a new greenfield manufacturing plant in Gopalpur, and TYK Ceramics has announced an investment of ₹57 crore for an advanced refractory manufacturing facility.
The three-day visit assumes significance against the backdrop of Odisha's efforts to emerge as a major manufacturing and green-energy destination. The visiting delegation, led by Shinji Hirai, Governor of Tottori Prefecture, will comprise senior government officials and business representatives.
Sampad Chandra Swain, Minister for Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education, said Odisha and Japan have a growing partnership built on mutual trust and shared opportunities.
"The visit of this large delegation will provide an important platform to deepen this relationship. Odisha has significant potential in manufacturing, food processing, technology and skill development, and we look forward to building meaningful partnerships that connect businesses, institutions and people," he said.
The Odisha government and the Tottori Prefectural Government are expected to sign a cooperation agreement to establish a structured institutional framework for sustained collaboration in economic activities, trade, tourism, culture, environmental initiatives, personnel exchange and youth and student interactions.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will hold a bilateral meeting with Governor Hirai to discuss ways to strengthen economic and industrial ties between the two regions. Dedicated business interactions and a roundtable involving Japanese business representatives, Odisha government institutions and industry stakeholders have been planned.
The government is keen to leverage Japanese expertise in advanced manufacturing, engineering, technology, food processing and green energy. Odisha's mineral resources, port infrastructure, expanding industrial clusters and availability of skilled manpower offer considerable opportunities for Japanese companies looking to expand their manufacturing and business operations in India.
Startup Odisha will organise a business interaction at O-Hub in Bhubaneswar, bringing together entrepreneurs and business representatives from both sides. Apart from the government-to-government friendship agreement, two institutional MoUs — one between Startup Odisha and the Directorate of Industries, Tottori Prefecture, and another between the World Trade Centre and Tottori Prefecture — will be exchanged during the visit.
Hemant Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary of the Industries Department, said the visit provides an opportunity for the Japanese delegation to experience Odisha's industrial ecosystem and engage directly with its institutions and business community.
"B2B interactions have been planned with the industry representatives which will help their counterparts in Odisha to explore export possibilities. Technology tie-ups are also expected in medical devices manufacturing and the pharma sector. After their visit, we will send a business delegation to Japan," he said.
The visit follows earlier engagements between Odisha and Tottori, including discussions held earlier this year on cooperation in investment, industrial development, human resources, education, tourism, culture and technology exchange.
The Tottori delegation's visit is expected to take the relationship beyond conventional investment promotion by creating stronger linkages between businesses, government institutions, technical training establishments and young professionals.
"The state government is now looking to build on this existing investment base by attracting fresh Japanese investments, encouraging expansion by companies already operating in Odisha and facilitating technology and skill partnerships," Sharma added.
