Odisha looking to increase its contribution to national GDP from 3% to 5%: Governor

Odisha aims to increase the State’s contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 3% to 5%, increasing the average annual growth from 7% to 9.5%, through reforms in investment, implementation and adoption of technology, Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati said on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

Delivering the inaugural address at the budget session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, Mr. Kambhampati presented the strong economic fundamentals of the State and the massive infrastructure proposals planned that will give further impetus to economic growth.

“In line with India’s Vision and global best practices, the state aims to increase per capita income from Rs 1.8 lakh to Rs 32 lakh by 2047, improve living standards, reduce multidimensional poverty to 5%, increase women’s labor force participation to 70%, increase life expectancy to over 80 years and eliminate anemia and malnutrition,” he said.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central government’s recent approvals for mega projects in Odisha reflect strong confidence in the future of the State and will unlock significant socio-economic benefits. Approvals worth ₹ 8,300 crore for Rameshwar-Paradip Coastal Road and 6-lane access-controlled Greenfield Capital Region Ring Road (Bhubaneswar Ring Road) with an investment of around ₹ 8,308 crore will certainly improve connectivity,” the Governor of Odisha said in his speech.

“While the Odisha State Highway Policy, 2025 has been implemented to create a high-quality road network for uninterrupted movement of people and goods, the Odisha State Highway Administration Act, 2025 has been enacted to accelerate highway development through a special institutional mechanism,” Mr. Kambhampati said.

Highlighting the mineral wealth of the state, the official said: “With the government’s efforts, Odisha continues to hold a pre-eminent position in the national mining and steel space. The state has almost one-third of India’s total iron ore reserves and contributed over 61% of the country’s total iron ore production in 2024-25. Odisha also holds the top spot in Steel and Stainless Steel production in the country.”

“Currently, Odisha has 55 operational steel plants with a total installed capacity of approximately 45.62 Million Tonnes per Year (MTPA), accounting for approximately 23% of the country’s total installed steel capacity. With increasing per capita steel consumption, Odisha is positioned to contribute 100 million tonnes of steel towards the national target of 300 million tonnes by 2030,” the Governor said.

On the anti-Maoist operation front, Mr. Kambhampati said: “The government has achieved significant success in the fight against Left Wing anti-Extremism through sustained and proactive operational and administrative actions, leading to a marked improvement in the situation in the state.”

“In the last 5 years, 48 Maoist cadres were neutralized, 78 were arrested and 82 surrendered. Especially in 2025 alone, 25 Maoist cadres were neutralized, 9 cadres were arrested and 29 surrendered, including 17 in joint operations with Chhattisgarh Police, CRPF and CoBRA on the Nuapada-Gariyabandh border. Large quantities of weapons, ammunition, explosives and other “Weapons and incriminating materials were also seized,” he said.