Bhubaneswar: A fierce political conflict has emerged in Odisha following the state’s recognition as one of the top five in NITI Aayog’s first Investment Friendliness Index (IFI) for 2026. This designation has ignited debates over who should be credited for Odisha’s economic progress.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was honored on Thursday by prominent industrialists and industry representatives, who commended the collective efforts of Team Odisha. However, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik sharply criticized the ruling BJP government, accusing it of taking undue credit for the successes achieved during the previous BJD administration.
The NITI Aayog report placed Odisha alongside Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Goa as one of the country’s ‘Top Performers’ in creating a favorable investment climate. With an overall score of 52.4 percent, Odisha ranks fifth nationally, just behind Gujarat’s leading score of 56.6 percent, achieving notable results in areas such as natural resource management and fiscal health.
Naveen took to social media platform X to highlight that the report’s evaluation was based on performance metrics from the 2023-24 financial year, a time when the BJD was in control. He expressed pride in transforming Odisha from near-bankruptcy in 2000 to a leader in attracting nationwide investments. “The turnaround from a laggard state to a beacon state is a story of our sustained reform, fiscal discipline and transformative governance under the principles of 5T which is now being celebrated by present Odisha BJP government,” he stated.
He emphasized that Odisha had surpassed multiple ‘double-engine governments’ in various economic indicators while establishing a standard for sound fiscal management. During the review period, the state’s total liabilities were maintained at a low 16 percent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), with interest payments comprising only 1.38 percent of GSDP, the lowest in India.
Naveen further pointed out that this economic stability was accompanied by substantial industrial contributions, with Odisha producing nearly half of India’s mineral output and about a quarter of its coal production.
The BJD president attributed Odisha’s transformation into an investment hub to years of disciplined governance and strategic policy initiatives, allowing the government to fund significant socio-economic programs independently. “Our sustained efforts, policy interventions and fiscal discipline have turned the state into a magnet for investment. They have empowered Odisha to invest in people-centric welfare initiatives. This helped us pioneer schemes such as #BSKY, #KALIA and #MissionShakti, besides initiatives in #SkillDevelopment, #OdishaSchoolTransformation, tribal welfare, #DisasterManagement, infrastructure development, irrigation projects, poverty alleviation and our own food security scheme, without waiting for handouts from the Centre,” he elaborated, expressing gratitude to the citizens of Odisha for their role in the state’s journey.
Despite praising the BJD’s achievements, the opposition leader raised concerns regarding the current government’s financial management. “I am worried with the way the Odisha double-engine govt is mismanaging finances, it could push the state into the same path of bankruptcy which we inherited 25 years back,” he cautioned, warning of potential fiscal challenges ahead.
