Bhubaneswar, Dec 6 (KNN) During conclaves, the Memorandums on investments are signed but they get stuck at implementation level and long-time taken on approvals.

The biggest ever investment expo in the state, Make in Odisha ended on Friday.

The investments worth Rs 2.03 lakh crore and 1.4 lakh jobs were envisaged for the state during conclave in 10 sectors.

While traditional investors like Vedanta, Jindal and Tata Steel promised to invest about Rs 97,000 crore in mines & mineral sectors, labour intensive sectors like IT & electronics, manufacturing, apparels, biotechnology, tourism, petrochemicals, chemicals & plastics and food processing saw promises of investment to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore. More than 80 companies have shown interest to invest.

Jogendra Behera, Minister, MSME Department, Government of Odisha, during the conclave highlighted the investor friendly policy environment with Industrial Policy Resolution, MSME, Start up, Food Processing are in place for promoting ease of doing business and development of infrastructure for food processing in the State. Investments to the tune of INR 5000 Crore are envisaged in the coming 3 to 5 years.

Talking to KNN, Vivek Raj Bajpai, Secretary, District Small Scale Association (DSSIA) said “MSME Conclave will open new opportunities for the MSMEs because the government has also launched the MSME policy this time. This will be beneficial.”

“Make in Orissa had same attention from the state government as Central Government pays attention to Make in India. Definitely it will attract people,” he said.

He said if the MoUs are signed it means people are actually interested in doing business in the state.

“In Odisha there was a lack of work culture but it has been developed now. We hope that gradually the MoUs will materialize,” he added.

Mahesh J. Vajir, President, Rourkela Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, “During the conclaves the governments of states are not bothered which kind of industries are coming, they just say yes to all investments flowing in.”

The industrial policy decisions are mainly taken during these conclaves,” he added.

He said post signing the MoUs lot of time is consumed in approvals. (KNN Bureau)