Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], December 1 (ANI): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik attended the plenary sessions with business leaders and investors at "Make In Odisha Conclave", informed officials on Thursday.

Addressing the event CM Patnaik said "I extend a warm welcome to industry leaders, investors and all delegates present here for the 3rd edition of the Make in Odisha Conclave. I am happy to welcome our country partners - the Ambassadors of Japan and Norway, and the Consul General of Germany."He extended a warm welcome to everyone and added, "Welcome to the Land of new opportunities! Welcome to Odisha! Odisha is fast emerging as a major investment destination in the country. We are a progressive state with a clear focus on transformation in all sectors."He also highlighted the importance of stable governance.

"Stable governance is the cornerstone of peace prosperity and progress. We have an unprecedented mandate from the electorate due to our continued performance over the last two decades. Our citizen-centric governance model has set global benchmarks. Initiatives like Mo Sarkar and 5T charter give dignity and respect to our people," he added.

Stressing the state government's efforts, he noted, "Our inclusive development agenda emphasizes on education, health, skill development, agriculture, women's empowerment, tribal development and so on. Mission Shakti, comprising 70 lakh women, is a unique empowerment initiative. Our health assurance scheme BSKY is a milestone in the public health sector. Participatory governance ensures that gains are shared across all sections of society. We have been able to reduce poverty by 50 per cent while doubling the farmer's income over the last two decades."He also lauded the state's investor-friendly approach.

"Our investor-friendly initiatives and transformative governance have put us on a journey of progress and prosperity. I invite each one of you to come and join us on this journey. I assure you that our government will run the extra mile to make you comfortable in our state. We will walk along your side and make sure your dreams as an entrepreneur are realized. Odisha's prosperity is interlinked with new investments. We completely understand this and therefore, we welcome you from the core of our hearts.

"However, we are ambitious to develop Odisha in other sectors too. We are making a huge capital investment in improving our transport infrastructure - expressways, railways, airports, sea ports. We are a pioneer in electricity reforms and have successfully created the framework and investment towards providing quality affordable energy," CM Patnaik noted.

He also claimed, "Odisha is destined to become a trillion-dollar economy in the near future. We will emerge as the gateway to East and South East Asia. I invite you to come and invest in a New Odisha." (ANI)