Odisha ranked among top five investment-friendly states by NITI Aayog, says CM Majhi

Odisha has been recognised as one of the top five performers in the NITI Aayog's first-ever Investment Friendliness Index (IFI), Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Tuesday. He attributed the achievement to policy-driven reforms, an investor-friendly administration and sustainable industrial development.

The NITI Aayog recently released the index to assess how well Indian states are positioned to attract investments. It covered all 28 states and eight union territories, evaluating factors that make a state attractive to investors as well as the challenges they face. The index uses a 100-point scale and serves as a benchmark for states to improve their investment environment, based on primary surveys and publicly available data.

According to the report, the top five performers are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Odisha. Fifteen states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, were classified as frontrunners. Eight states and union territories fell into the emerging performers category, while an equal number were categorised as aspiring states.

“Odisha’s recognition among the top five investment-friendly states is a matter of immense pride for every Odia. This achievement reflects our collective commitment to transparent governance, industry-friendly policies and efficient service delivery. We thank our industry partners for their continued trust in Odisha,” Mr. Majhi said.

The Chief Minister emphasised that the recognition is a milestone, not a destination. “We will continue to undertake reforms, strengthen infrastructure and create an even more enabling ecosystem so that Odisha emerges as one of the most preferred investment destinations in India and globally,” he said.

Mr. Majhi expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that transformative reforms under his leadership, combined with the strength of the “Double Engine Government”, have accelerated Odisha’s progress in infrastructure, industrialisation, connectivity, logistics, skilling and overall economic development.

“The recognition validates Odisha’s sustained focus on governance reforms, ease of doing business, institutional efficiency and investor facilitation. Through progressive policy interventions, digital governance, time-bound approvals, strengthened institutional mechanisms and a robust Single Window Clearance system, the State has created an enabling ecosystem that supports investment across diverse sectors,” the Chief Minister noted.

He added that Odisha’s development story extends beyond traditional industrial strengths, with the state emerging as a diversified manufacturing and services hub attracting investments across sectors. These investments are driving structural transformation by strengthening industrial value chains, promoting balanced regional development, supporting MSMEs and startups, encouraging innovation and skill development, and creating large-scale employment opportunities for the state’s youth.

Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain said the collective efforts of Team Odisha in creating a responsive, transparent and globally competitive investment ecosystem played a key role in the state being identified as a top performer.