At the BJP state headquarters in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, October 25, 2026, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi gathered with party workers to listen to the latest edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat — and came away energised enough to broadcast the moment to the nation.

Posting in Odia, Majhi described the PM's words with quiet reverence, noting that Modi had characterised Mann Ki Baat as a sacred 'teertha yatra' (pilgrimage) — a way of drawing close to the ceaseless efforts of ordinary citizens and honouring their contributions. That framing matters: it recast a government radio programme as a grassroots listening exercise, not a top-down broadcast.

Festival push: why artisans and weavers are front and centre

With the festival season approaching, Modi used the address to sharpen the Vocal for Local call-to-action — the campaign born in 2020 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat economic package to champion indigenous goods over imports. For Odisha, that translates directly into some of the country's most celebrated craft traditions: Sambalpuri ikat weaves, Pattachitra paintings, and the intricate Dhokra metalwork of its tribal artisans. Majhi echoed the message, pledging that local craftspeople, weavers and small traders would find fresh encouragement in the run-up to the festive months.

Natural farming and the green thread through BJP's state agenda

Modi also foregrounded natural farming and environmental protection — a recurring axis of the Centre's agricultural messaging that dovetails with several state-level schemes promoting chemical-free cultivation across eastern India. Odisha's BJP government, in office since the 2024 state assembly elections, has consistently sought to align its rural development agenda with the national Viksit Bharat 2047 vision — the blueprint for India as a fully developed economy by its centenary of independence.

What Majhi committed to in Bhubaneswar

The Chief Minister's post closed with a public pledge: drawing on the PM's 'inspiring thoughts,' his government and party workers would pursue the all-round development of Odisha through jan bhaagidari (people's participation), working collectively toward a 'Samruddha Odisha' — a prosperous Odisha — as part of the larger Viksit Bharat project. It is a formulation that has become near-standard for BJP chief ministers after a Mann Ki Baat episode, but the deliberate inclusion of artisans, weavers and natural farmers gives it a sharper local texture ahead of what are typically the highest-spending weeks of the Indian retail calendar.