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The program led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi generated 24 agreements including eight MoUs and 16 investment intent forms after more than 50 business meetings across Abu Dhabi and Dubai, an official statement from the Odisha government said. These interactions involved UAE investors, global business leaders, sovereign stakeholders, Indian diplomats and the Odia diaspora community. The final day in Dubai featured an investors’ meet attended by around 400 participants.
Major commitments came from CAZBAA Project Ventures FZCO for an LNG storage project and from Rana Holdings Limited covering green energy, artificial intelligence data centres and rare earths, according to the statement. Sharaf Group agreed to invest in the housing sector while PTCL Infrastructure targeted steel and downstream manufacturing opportunities. Investment intents were registered from Dalwin Marine, Turbo Power Engineering, Ion Technologies and Agrifields FZCO for ship repair, propellant manufacturing and fertiliser projects respectively.
The proposals cover sectors ranging from logistics and tourism to processed food, critical minerals, metals and mining, the government release indicated. They carry a projected employment potential of 618,725 jobs, with some reports noting additional construction-phase opportunities that could take the total closer to 900,000. Majhi later announced that combined with earlier drives the state has now accumulated investment intents exceeding Rs 22.5 lakh crore in the two years of the current administration.
Odisha’s gross state domestic product is estimated to reach Rs 9.9 lakh crore in 2025-26 with a real growth rate of 7.9 percent that surpasses the national average, the state’s Economic Survey 2025-26 showed. Industry has been a key driver contributing over 41 percent to the economy with manufacturing expanding at 8.3 percent. The UAE outreach aligns with the state’s ambition to become a $500 billion economy by 2036.
Bilateral trade between India and the UAE exceeded $100 billion in fiscal 2025-26 and the two countries have set a target of $200 billion by 2032, according to the Indian Ministry of Commerce. Cumulative foreign direct investment from the UAE into India stands at over $25 billion since 2000, making it the seventh largest source, government data places. The latest agreements reflect deepening economic cooperation facilitated by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
Speaking on social media platform X, Majhi said the delegation had showcased Odisha’s industrial ecosystem and investor-friendly policies to potential partners from the Gulf. He emphasised opportunities in emerging sectors during one-on-one meetings and roundtables. The chief minister described the visit as a step forward in building long-term partnerships for the state’s development.
