Odisha Hosts State-Level Workshop on Blue and Green Economy for Climate-Resilient Growth

Bhubaneswar: The State SDG Cell of the Planning and Convergence Department, Government of Odisha, organised a two-day workshop on “Leveraging Blue and Green Economy for a Resilient Future” from January 29 to 30, 2026, at Hotel Crown in Bhubaneswar. The workshop aimed to foster meaningful dialogue on sustainable development by integrating blue and green economy approaches to enhance climate resilience, promote inclusive growth, and support the State’s long-term vision of Viksit Odisha @2036.

The event brought together senior policymakers, experts from national institutions, academia, UN agencies, civil society organisations, private sector representatives and community leaders to deliberate on strategies for building a resilient and sustainable future for Odisha.

Delivering the keynote address at the inaugural session, Deoranjan Kumar Singh, IAS, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary, Planning and Convergence Department, underscored the importance of environmental sustainability through the adoption of green economy principles. The session was also addressed by Dr. Ashish Chaturvedi, Head of the Environment, Energy and Resilience Pillar, UNDP India, who highlighted India’s commitment to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals through blue and green economy frameworks.

The workshop featured six technical sessions with 21 speakers, covering key dimensions of the blue and green economy. Experts from NITI Aayog, TISS, ICAR–IIWM, IIT Bhubaneswar, Berhampur University, MPEDA, UNDP India, along with community-based organisations, shared insights and best practices on sustainable development, climate resilience and livelihood security.

Discussions on the first day focused on various aspects of the green economy, including green jobs, environmental financing, water security, and responsible consumption and production. The deliberations are expected to strengthen Odisha’s SDG implementation framework by aligning policy initiatives, innovation and community action towards a resilient future.

During Technical Session I, Dr. Neelam Patel, Senior Advisor (Agriculture), NITI Aayog, and Ashok Singha, Managing Director, ASCERT Network Advisors, Odisha, discussed sustainable blue and green economic growth from India’s perspective, with special emphasis on coastal states, climate change and energy security.

Technical Session II focused on Sustainable Climate-Smart Agriculture and inclusive approaches, featuring presentations by Nitin Bassi, Fellow, CEEW, New Delhi; Dr. Bibhu Prasad Nayak, Professor, TISS-Hyderabad and Member, 6th State Finance Commission, Odisha; and Dr. Debal Deb, practitioner of indigenous seed conservation from Rayagada.

In Technical Session III, Dr. A. Sarangi, Director, ICAR–IIWM, Bhubaneswar; Amit Kumar, Manager, Skyvan Aviation; and Dr. M.K. Ram Mohan, Director, MMEDA, Kochi, deliberated on key pillars of the green economy, focusing on water security, emerging technologies, and green value chains linked to responsible consumption and production.

Senior officials including S.K. Vashisth, Principal Secretary, Fisheries & Animal Resources Development Department; Rajesh Pravakar Patil, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Cooperation Department; and Mansi Nimbhal, Additional Secretary-cum-MD, OLIC, along with officers from the Planning and Convergence Department, attended the inaugural day of the workshop.

An audio-visual film on the Sustainable Development Goals was screened during the programme, and a booklet titled “Aspirational, Sustainable Snippets of Success from the Heartland – Volume 2” was released on the occasion.

Alka Jena, Director, SDG Cell, Planning and Convergence Department, proposed the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to the dignitaries, speakers and participants for their active engagement.