Odisha Secures ₹8,417 Crore UAE Investment Proposals, 14,310 Jobs in Pipeline

The Odisha government on Thursday signed five MoUs and secured eight investment proposals worth ₹8,417 crore on the second day of its UAE investors’ outreach programme, with the proposed projects expected to generate 14,310 employment opportunities, officials said.

The agreements were signed in Dubai in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, as Odisha stepped up efforts to attract Gulf capital into sectors including IT and IT-enabled services, logistics, food and agro-processing, steel and downstream industries, rare earths, chemicals, aluminium and the circular economy. The five MoUs account for ₹5,600 crore and an estimated 11,500 jobs, while eight Investment Intents represent ₹2,817 crore and 2,810 potential jobs.

The latest announcements form part of the state’s three-day Odisha Investors’ Meet – UAE 2026, aimed at strengthening economic ties with the Gulf and positioning Odisha as a diversified, technology-driven and export-oriented investment destination. Majhi held high-level meetings with UAE officials, investors, industry representatives and business institutions. He met UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, who also chairs the Council of International Investments, and invited UAE-based companies to establish industrial projects in Odisha.

The outreach follows a much larger announcement on its first day, when Odisha signed an MoU with Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company (IHC) and the Adani Group to explore 14 projects involving around ₹2.10 lakh crore. The proposed portfolio covers metals and downstream industries, slurry pipelines, critical minerals and rare earths, chemicals and petrochemical derivatives, renewable-energy equipment, healthcare, industrial infrastructure, tourism, skill development and sports infrastructure.

Aluminium has emerged as a key component of the investment strategy. IHC and Adani have separately outlined an $11.5-billion integrated aluminium project in Odisha, including a 4-million-tonne alumina refinery, 2-million-tonne smelter, captive power generation and 1-million-tonne downstream facility. Meanwhile, NALCO has partnered with Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) for its proposed 0.5-million-tonne-per-year Angul smelter expansion, with EGA providing DX+ Ultra technology and technical support.

Odisha is also promoting port-led industrialisation, leveraging Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur ports, while a proposed ₹24,700-crore National Shipbuilding and Heavy Industries Park near Paradip could strengthen maritime manufacturing.

The state says it has attracted 514 investment proposals worth ₹9.57 lakh crore over the past two years. However, officials now face the key challenge of converting MoUs and investment intents into actual projects, production and jobs. The UAE outreach nevertheless underscores Odisha’s push to move beyond mining and primary metals towards value-added manufacturing, technology, logistics, clean energy and global exports.