The Business Bytes
THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
NEW DELHI, JUNE 10, 2025
Odisha, long celebrated for its rich cultural heritage, mineral resources, and resilient communities, has made significant strides in recent years across multiple socio-economic dimensions. The state has expanded its industrial footprint, become a national leader in disaster resilience, and laid the groundwork for sustained institutional investment. With a rapidly growing young population and strong economic momentum, Odisha possesses the core ingredients to become a major hub for higher education in eastern India.
Yet, despite this promising foundation, Odisha remains underrepresented in India’s higher education map. With only 24 colleges per lakh population—below the national average of 28 — this gap reflects deeper structural and policy-level deficiencies. While initiatives like the Odisha University (Amendment) Act, 2024 aim to modernize governance and promote institutional autonomy, the absence of globally competitive universities is conspicuous.
The disparity becomes even starker when compared to other Indian states. Between 2009 and 2024, Andhra Pradesh established IIIT Sri City, Maharashtra added FLAME University, Gujarat launched Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Haryana nurtured Ashoka University, and Punjab welcomed Plaksha University. These institutions were purpose-built with international collaboration, cutting-edge research infrastructure, and innovation ecosystems at their core. Even smaller states like Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh have successfully fostered public and private institutions focused on niche domains. Odisha, in contrast, has not yet witnessed the rise of a single globally benchmarked university during this period.
The consequences are profound. Odisha continues to lose its brightest students to institutions in other states and abroad. This persistent outflow depletes not just local talent, but also hinders regional innovation, economic dynamism, and equitable development. This imbalance has become more apparent in light of recent debates around international admissions policies at elite institutions like Harvard. Odisha needs world-class universities—now more than ever
When Odisha Envisioned a Global-Class University
In the past 15 years, Odisha has added only about 15 new universities — both public and private — while Maharashtra and Gujarat expanded their higher education landscapes by adding approximately 33 and 50 universities respectively.
Over a decade ago, Odisha came close to rewriting this narrative. In 2009, the Odisha Legislative Assembly passed an ambitious bill to establish Vedanta University — a multidisciplinary, not-for-profit, globally benchmarked institution on the state’s coast. It was envisioned not just as a university, but as a self-contained knowledge city, akin to Boston’s academic ecosystem — a hub of world-class learning, research, innovation, and digital excellence.
The university was projected to attract an initial investment of Rs 15,000 crore — an amount comparable to setting up six new IITs, six IIMs, three central universities, six IISERs, and six AIIMS combined. The plan envisioned over 10,000 faculty members and 1 lakh students at launch, eventually scaling up to accommodate 2 lakh students.
The Vedanta University Bill outlined a truly transformative vision with several pioneering features:
- Multidisciplinary Schools: Covering fields from science, engineering, and law to medicine, agriculture, public policy, and the humanities. Investment in R&D for critical medicines was also planned.
- Research-Driven Culture: Creation of state-of-the-art research parks and centers of excellence to attract Nobel-caliber talent and drive innovation.
- Inclusive Access: A mandated 25% reservation for students from Odisha, with full scholarships for meritorious candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Global Faculty Recruitment: A commitment to hiring international faculty to encourage diverse academic exchange. Notably, Prof. S. Shankar Sastry, former Dean of the College of Engineering at UC Berkeley, served as a key academic advisor in shaping the university’s vision.
- Non-Commercial Model: All revenues were to be reinvested in research, infrastructure, and student support, with an explicit commitment to non-profit operations.
- World-Class Facilities: Plans for convention and exhibition centers modeled on those in Hamburg, Germany, positioned the campus as a destination for global dialogue and events.
Vedanta University was not just a higher education initiative—it was an economic and intellectual engine that could have anchored Odisha’s global aspirations, positioning it alongside regions that host institutions like MIT, Stanford, or Tsinghua University.
While the name remains politically sensitive today, the blueprint itself was among the most forward-thinking in India’s higher education history.
Call to Action: Let Us Not Miss the Moment Again
Odisha now stands at a critical crossroads. With a growing economy and rising youth aspirations, the global landscape of education is shifting. International study is increasingly uncertain, and the demand for high-quality domestic alternatives is surging.
This is Odisha’s moment to act. The state must revive its visionary higher education agenda by partnering with leading corporations and philanthropists to build world-class, not-for-profit, research-intensive institutions that are globally connected yet locally rooted. A dedicated Higher Education Innovation Fund could help attract Nobel-grade faculty, while a Research & Industrial Linkage Council can align academic output with Odisha’s industrial and economic goals.
We cannot afford to let another generation seek opportunity elsewhere. Let us build institutions that will bring the world to Odisha — transforming it from a land of mines and temples into a land of minds and ideas.
