F70C4E4A2A8C82B<0HB0H
>SXbWP`dXcTWXVW^]³4PbT^U3^X]V1dbX]Tbb´
18BF0A09?0C=08:
arendra Modi is becoming
N less popular than he was at
the beginning for talking too
much. When his own generals
and lieutenants revealed that
the BJP had purposefully made
tall promises by resorting to
believable bluffs, particularly
the ‘black money scooping’
from foreign holes and dis-
tributing 15 lakh rupees to
every Indian, all Indians felt
deceived. The latest surveys
indicate a big downfall for the
ruling party unless miracles
happen. The vulgar display of
power of money by some of the
younger BJP leaders had caused
the most unexpected defeat of
the Vajpayee regime. The ‘India
Shining’ campaign was just a
plain mad technique they used
to cause suicidal outcomes
despite historic nation-building
efforts and successes. The pre-
sent Modi-Shah duo is causing
great national distress by defac-
ing and recreating heritage
and history and branding every
non-BJP State nonperformer. It
is forecast that Rajasthan and
Chhattisgarh and more are
going to be lost like a needle in
a haystack for the saffron party.
Modi is singularly popular
only because he appears per-
suasive to the gullible commu-
nities. But overall, Modi has no
steam left to keep the saffron
flag fluttering across the nation.
Shah causes pain and ache
among the sensible masses for
his crude approach to every
electioneering initiative.
Interestingly, Naveen
Patnaik is a perfect antithesis of
Modi. His popularity is on the
rise, and magically so. He keeps
cool and quiet, no matter how
bitter, noisy or caustic the crit-
ics are. The Make in Odisha
Conclave causes considerable
excitement among the corpo-
rates looking for business
opportunities. The 2018 ‘Make
in Odisha’ Conclave has done
too well. A whopping C4.20
lakh crore investment has been
promised by leading corporates
to generate employment for
nearly five hundred thousand
young people. Potential
investors have shown up
because they feel extremely
safe and reassured
due to a robustly sta- 78CC8=6C741D;;´B4H4 Vadodara, Surat and
Bharoch is more than
and Bengaluru, eventually cul-
minating in the first-of-its-
to invest' projects across key
sectors. Odisha has established
ntation of a Business Reforms
Programme to make it easier
ble regime making available a The study establishes that double — eight to ten million kind summit ‘Make in Odisha’ four Investment Regions in for companies to set up and
truly investor-friendly envi- Odisha has the lowest wage rate rupees per acre. In in 2016. From the three events, the focus sectors, viz., National operate in the State, following
ronment with extremely sup- of skilled labour among the Maharashtra, the cost is even the State bagged 124 invest- Investment & Manufacturing which Odisha has been recog-
portive policies for ease of surveyed industrialised States. higher as land rates hover ment intents, 76 of which have Zone (NIMZ)at Kalinganagar, nised as a ‘Leader’ in terms of
running business. An Asian “A low wage rate is a positive between eight and 16 million already translated into firm Petroleum, Chemicals and implementation of business
Development Bank study says factor for the setting up of busi- rupees. commitments. The State Petrochemicals Investment reforms with 92.73 per cent
no other State of a India can nesses from the perspective of Using Odisha’s cost in Government has identified six Region (PCPIR) at Paradip, score in the ‘Ease of Doing
match with the affordable industry since it drastically labour, tariff and power, the focus sectors, which include Port Based Manufacturing Business Report of 2016’. The
labour cost in Odisha, where reduces the operating expen- ADB study goes on to say that agriculture and food process- Zone at Dhamra and Associated Chambers of Com-
people lead a content, happy diture of any business,” the an industry in the casting and ing, chemicals and petro- Information Technology merce and Industry of India
life. They do not feel exploited study says. The wage rate of forging sector can generate chemicals, textiles, downstream Investment Region at (Assocham) has ranked Odisha
despite being fully aware of the skilled labour in Odisha is billion dollars in revenue and and ancillary, ESDM-IT and Bhubaneswar. This will trans- as the ‘number one State’ in ter-
higher labour charges in the C6,240 per month whereas for save half a million dollars in ITeS and auto and auto com- form Odisha into the industri- ms of investment implementa-
other similarly-developed Maharashtra it is C8,739 and power costs if it chooses
States. West Bengal C8,888. Andhra Odisha over Andhra Pradesh.
ponents.
As per Vision 2025 of CM
al gateway to eastern India.
To attract investors, the
tion rate.
Detractors, opponents and
‘Ease of doing business' Pradesh with a wage rate of The savings for the industry are Naveen Patnaik, his Government is offering specific political adversaries keep
might be the buzzword for C9,818, boasts of the highest twice at C52.2 million if Odisha Government is working with incentives that include 100 per screaming that Odisha has
attracting investors as States cost of labour. The other two is preferred. over Maharashtra. an aim of attracting two and a cent exemption from stamp dipped on the scale of ‘ease of
scramble to improve their industrially leading states, For an apparel maker in half lakh crore rupees of fresh duty on loan agreements, cred- doing business’ from where it
rankings. But Odisha is quiet- Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, have Odisha, the savings in power investments and generate three it deeds, mortgages and was two years ago. What they do
ly stealing the show with its wage rates of 9,414 and 9,115 costs could range between 3.5 million jobs. Odisha offers sev- hypothecation deeds executed not appreciate is the fact that the
competitive advantage in the rupees, respectively. Power- million and 10.6 million rupees eral advantages to investors by the industrial units in favour points of merit remain the
cost of doing business. An surplus Odisha also boasts of over other States. A report by such as rich mineral reserves, of banks. It is also offering cap- same. Some other States have
Asian Development Bank study the lowest industrial power industry body Assocham says strategic coastal location with ital grant to support quality added a few numericals on
has rated Odisha as the most tariff amongst the six chosen by the end of March 31, 2017, over 10,000 km of highway net- infrastructure, wherein 50 per some parameter or the other.
cost-competitive State judged States at C4.20 per unit. In Odisha had attracted live work; and the State is part of cent of the infrastructure cost But Odisha shall continue to
by the criteria of cost of setting Maharashtra, it is C7.20 and investments worth 13.2 trillion the East Coast Economic with a ceiling of C10 crore per attract the most investors for,
up and running a business. The West Bengal C6.60. rupees, the third highest in the Corridor. The Government has greenfield industrial park and apart from the highlights placed,
report has dwelt on key para- Cost of land is another key country with a share of 7.2 per set up a single-window portal capital subsidy of 10 per cent it has mother nature on its side
meters — wage rate of skilled area where Odisha trumps cent. Odisha has the fastest in the country for speedier up to maximum as indicated with its unique bounty which
labour, industrial power tariff Gujarat and Maharashtra. Land implementation rate of projects facilitation and tracking of based on employment and inv- will hold the State supremely
and land costs. In all the select- cost in key industrial loca- as projects valued at 6.4 trillion investment proposals and estment in auto and auto com- high on the enticement scale,
ed parameters, Odisha wins it tions of Odisha remains rupees are in various stages of approvals. It has identified ponents, agro and food pro- and incomparably so.
hands down on cost compared between three and six million implementation. dedicated sector-specific clus- cessing, textile among others.
with States like Andhra rupees per acre. Compared Odisha has positioned itself ters and estates with 10,000 Over the last three years, (The writer is a core mem-
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, with this, Gujarat’s land rate at as an investment hub after acres of developed industrial the State Government has ber of Transparency
Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. its industrial locations of staging road shows in Mumbai land. It also has over 300 'ready embarked upon the impleme- International, Odisha)