Bhubaneswar: The Government of Odisha convened a State Consultation Workshop on ‘Creating Enabling Ecosystem for Services in Tier 2 and 3 Cities’ in Bhubaneswar today. The workshop brought together key officials and stakeholders to discuss strategies for fostering service-led growth in smaller cities.
The event featured prominent participants including Manoj Ahuja, Chief Secretary of Odisha; S Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY); Anu Garg, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary of Odisha; Vishal Dev, Principal Secretary of the Electronics and Information Technology Department of Odisha; and senior officials from 24 States and Union Territories.
The workshop centered on the initiatives undertaken by various states in areas such as skilling, infrastructure development, Ease of Doing Business, and policy and regulatory reforms. Discussions focused on strengthening the services ecosystem in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across sectors including IT, semiconductors, tourism, BFSI, civil aviation, and logistics.
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja highlighted Odisha’s commitment to bridging the gap between Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. He emphasized the state’s proactive approach in developing infrastructure, streamlining regulatory processes, and enhancing skill development tailored to smaller cities’ needs.
S Krishnan underscored the workshop’s role as a platform for states to present industry concerns and outline expected central government reforms. He praised the Government of Odisha for hosting the workshop and stressed the importance of collaboration between state and central entities for fostering a conducive environment for services growth.
Development Commissioner Anu Garg called for a collective approach to tackle challenges such as talent acquisition, technological integration, and market access, which are crucial for unlocking the potential of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Vishal Dev provided insights into the measures taken by Odisha to support the services sector, detailing key policy actions and infrastructure developments. He recommended further steps to accelerate the state’s services sector growth.
This workshop is part of a series of high-level discussions leading up to the 4th National Chief Secretaries’ Conference later this year, which will focus on “Promoting Entrepreneurship, Employment, and Skilling – Leveraging the Demographic Dividend.” One of the conference’s key pillars is “Creating an Enabling Ecosystem for Services Innovation, Growth, and Capacity Building.”
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has been designated as the nodal ministry for this pillar, coordinating efforts to gather input and build consensus on strategies to enhance the services sector across India. The Government of Odisha will continue to collaborate with MeitY and other stakeholders to ensure the outcomes of this workshop contribute to actionable strategies for improving India’s services sector, particularly in emerging Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.