Odisha CM Majhi pitches 'two-coast strategy' to power India's industrial growth
Synopsis
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi used a Gujarat visit to Mundra Port to make a pointed pitch: India's industrial story cannot stay one-sided. With ₹8.37 lakh crore in approved investments and a direct gateway to Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific, Odisha is positioning itself as the East Coast answer to what the West Coast built over two decades.
Key Takeaways
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi proposed a 'two-coast strategy' during his three-day Gujarat visit on 7 May 2025 .
He addressed industry leaders at Mundra Port , urging integration of industrial operations across India's eastern and western seaboards.
The Odisha government has approved 433 investment proposals worth ₹8.37 lakh crore ; 148 projects worth ₹2.86 lakh crore have already been grounded.
Majhi highlighted Odisha's strategic access to Southeast Asia , East Asia , and the Indo-Pacific region.
The delegation also visited solar cell and wind turbine component manufacturing facilities at Mundra, studying integrated industrial models.
Industry Minister Sampad Chandra Swain and senior state officials accompanied the Chief Minister.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday, 7 May 2025, called for a 'two-coast strategy' to drive India's next phase of industrial expansion, asserting that the East Coast must become an equal partner to the western seaboard in shaping the country's economic future. The remarks were made during his three-day visit to Gujarat, while addressing industry leaders at Mundra Port and associated industrial facilities.
The Case for a Two-Coast Strategy
Chief Minister Majhi argued that India's industrial growth has historically been concentrated along the West Coast, which has emerged as a dominant hub for maritime trade and manufacturing. He proposed a structural correction, urging industry leaders to integrate operations across both seaboards.
Point of View
The state has moved beyond investor summits to execution optics. The 'two-coast strategy' framing is shrewd: it doesn't ask industry to abandon the West, it asks them to replicate it eastward. The real test, however, is whether port infrastructure, logistics depth, and ease of doing business on the East Coast can genuinely match what Mundra and JNPA have built over decades — a gap that rhetoric alone cannot close.
NationPress
9 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'two-coast strategy' proposed by Odisha CM Mohan Majhi?
It is a framework proposed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi urging Indian industry to integrate operations across both the western and eastern seaboards, rather than concentrating growth along the West Coast alone. Majhi positioned Odisha as the natural gateway for the East Coast leg of this strategy, citing its connectivity to Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
Why did Odisha CM Majhi visit Mundra Port in Gujarat?
CM Majhi visited Mundra Port as part of a three-day Gujarat visit to study large-scale port and industrial infrastructure, and to pitch Odisha's investment ecosystem to industry leaders. The delegation toured the Container Jetty, VLCC Jetty, and manufacturing facilities including solar cell and wind turbine component units.
How much investment has Odisha approved so far?
The Odisha government has approved 433 investment proposals worth ₹8.37 lakh crore. Of these, 148 projects worth ₹2.86 lakh crore have already been grounded, according to CM Majhi.
Which sectors is Odisha targeting for industrial growth?
Odisha is targeting logistics, chemicals, petrochemicals, downstream manufacturing, renewable energy, and maritime trade, supported by expanding port infrastructure and industrial ecosystems along the East Coast.
Who accompanied Odisha CM Majhi on the Gujarat visit?
Industry Minister Sampad Chandra Swain and senior Odisha state government officials accompanied CM Majhi. The delegation engaged with industry stakeholders to present Odisha's policy framework and infrastructure readiness.
