Bhubaneswar: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari today put emphasis on collective efforts for all-round development of Odisha. Pujari was speaking at the fifth edition of Sambad CEO Conclave-2026 in the capital city here.

“India has become the third largest economy during BJP govt at the Centre. We have prepared a roadmap to make Odisha a prosperous and developed state in all terms while it completes 100 years of its formation. Odisha is the richest state in India in terms for mineral resources. The state has also enough talents in various fields. Many Odia people are working in other states and have achieved excellence in their respective fields. We all should work together to take Odisha to new heights by 2036, the centenary year of its formation as a separate state,” said Pujari.

People’s participation key to achieve development goals: Minister  

On the occasion, the Minister highlighted the contribution of Odisha to the freedom struggle against the British rule in Odisha. According to him, many brave sons of Odisha, including Veer Surendra Sai, Buxi Jagabandhu and Jayee Rajguru, had fought against the Britishers much ahead of the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny.

“Many people consider 1857 Sepoy Mutiny as the first war of independence. But, the brave sons of Odisha had waged a war against the British rule at least 28 years ahead of the Sepoy Mutiny,” stated the Minister.

Pujari further stated that the BJP government in the state, that completed two years in office on Friday, is making all possible efforts to achieve rapid economic progress. “The government cannot achieve all these things alone. We need active participation from the people to realize the dream of a developed Odisha,” he said.

Political stability should be utilized to achieve economic growth: Soumya Ranjan

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Eastern Media Limited, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, highlighted the political stability in Odisha and India while stressing the importance of growth-oriented policies.

“Odisha has been witnessing political stability since 1980. We have also a stable government at the Centre. The state government as well the Centre should utilize the political stability to achieve economic growth as well as socio-economic development,” said Patnaik.

The veteran journalist also spoke about the contribution of Odisha in the formation of a stable government at the Centre. “Odisha had contributed 20 MPs to the ruling party at the Centre in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Centre should also reciprocate and assist Odisha for rapid economic progress,” he added.

According to Patnaik, Odisha has plenty of natural resources including minerals, forests and long coastline. “It is often said that Odisha is rich but its people are poor. So, the industries and its leaders should focus on proper utilization of our resources make the state a vibrant economy,” he stated.

Logo of ‘10 years to 100 years’ initiative unveiled

Dr Monica Nayyar Patnaik, Director, Eastern Media Limited, delivered the welcome address and recounted the circumstances that prompted the Sambad Group to organise the first edition of the CEO Conclave in 2022.  

"I remember 2022, just after the Covid-19 pandemic, when we were sitting with a group of our stakeholders and staff, wondering what we could do to create a meaningful dialogue and discussion. That is when the idea struck us—why not create a platform like an industry conclave where leaders could come together and discuss the future of industries over the next few years? That thought led to the launch of the Sambad CEO Conclave in 2022, with the theme 'Pandemic and Beyond'. At that time, there was a great deal of uncertainty. We were all trying to understand what the future held—not just for industries, but also for organisations and employees, because the pandemic had been an incredibly difficult period for everyone," she said. 

The conclave has become a platform for discussion, exchange of ideas and collective deliberation, she added. “Believe it or not, it helped set the tone for the future. It gave us confidence and reminded us that, yes, we could rebuild, recover and do it all over again,” she stated.

On the occasion, the dignitaries unveiled the logo of ‘10 years to 100 years’, an initiative of Sambad Group to focus on key issues ahead of Odisha’s centenary year in 2036.

“We are just 10 years behind the centenary year of Odisha. Sambad Group will focus on one important issue in each of these 10 years. We will devote the current year to issues related to women empowerment,” added Dr Patnaik.  

Odisha is ahead of Bengal in per capita income 

 Abhishek Karnani, the president of the Free Press Journal, and Srinivasan K Swamy, Executive Chairman of RK Swamy Hansa Group, also spoke at the inaugural ceremony of the conclave.

According to Karnani, the Eastern India, comprising Odisha and three other states, had always the potential to drive India’s economic growth. “Odisha and other states in Eastern India should focus on skill development and entrepreneurship to tap the region’s growth potential. They should adopt new technologies for rapid economic advancement,” said Karnani.

In his speech, Swamy claimed that Odisha has been ahead of the three other states of the Eastern India in terms of per capita income. “Odisha is much ahead of West Bengal in per capita income, industrialization and other sectors. The state has done extremely well in last five years. The state government should take appropriate steps to maintain the momentum,” he said.