Odisha, Canada Explore Collaboration in Clean Energy, Mining and Agri-Trade

Bhubaneswar: Odisha and Canada explored avenues for deeper cooperation in sectors such as clean energy, mining, agriculture, and industrial investment during a high-level meeting between Canadian High Commissioner to India Christopher Cooter and Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo at Lok Seva Bhawan on Monday.

The Canadian envoy, accompanied by his wife, paid a courtesy visit to the Deputy Chief Minister, who holds the Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy portfolios. Senior officials including Additional Chief Secretary (Energy) Vishal Kumar Dev and Principal Secretary, Forest, Environment & Climate Change, as well as CMD of OPTCL, Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma, were present during the discussions.

The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation between India and Canada with particular emphasis on Odisha’s emerging role as a destination for global investment and technology partnerships. Discussions covered areas such as agri-export, industrial collaboration, renewable energy, and sustainable development.

Highlighting Odisha’s mineral strength, Singh Deo said the state accounts for nearly 92 per cent of India’s chromite reserves and also possesses significant deposits of rare earth minerals along its coastline. He noted that these resources, along with Odisha’s industrial ecosystem, offer strong opportunities for foreign direct investment and value-added manufacturing.

The Canadian delegation also expressed interest in investment prospects in Odisha’s automobile and clean energy sectors. Both sides discussed leveraging technology partnerships and industrial cooperation to support sustainable economic growth.

During the interaction, the Deputy Chief Minister also briefed the delegation on Odisha’s cultural heritage, agricultural landscape, and developmental priorities. He said the state remains committed to balancing traditional strengths with modern industrial and technological advancement.

Singh Deo further stated that Odisha’s stable policy framework, infrastructure readiness, and investor-friendly environment have positioned it as an “Achiever” state in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business assessment.

He also highlighted Odisha’s growing role in India’s green energy transition, noting that two of the country’s proposed Green Hydrogen Hubs will come up in Paradeep and Gopalpur. These projects, he said, are expected to accelerate Odisha’s shift towards renewable energy and green industrial development.

According to officials, Canada has shown interest in partnering in projects related to clean energy and industrial cooperation. The meeting concluded with both sides agreeing to continue institutional-level dialogue to advance identified areas of collaboration.