THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR,
MAY 21, 2026
Odisha’s global
outreach received a fresh boost on Thursday as Chief Secretary Anu Garg held
high-level discussions with Japan’s Consul General in Kolkata, Ishikawa
Yoshihisa, to advance the proposed Friendship Agreement between Odisha and
Japan’s Tottori Prefecture.
Additional Chief Secretary
Hemant Sharma also participated in the meeting held in Bhubaneswar,
underscoring the state government’s focus on strengthening international
partnerships and expanding Odisha’s engagement with Japan across strategic
sectors.
The discussions came a
day after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi met the Consul General on May 20,
reflecting the growing momentum behind the proposed Odisha–Tottori
collaboration. Officials deliberated on the draft framework of the partnership,
which aims to foster cooperation in industry, economy, tourism, youth exchange,
culture, education and environmental initiatives.
During the meeting,
the Odisha government highlighted the state’s rapidly expanding industrial
ecosystem and emerging opportunities in advanced manufacturing, skill
development, tourism and cultural exchange. Both sides explored avenues for
collaboration in Japanese language training, student and faculty exchange
programmes, tourism promotion with special emphasis on the Buddhist circuit,
sports cooperation and stronger industry linkages.
To take the initiative forward, plans were made to convene a coordination meeting involving the Government of Odisha, the Embassy of India in Tokyo and the Tottori Prefectural Government for finalisation of modalities and timelines related to the partnership.
The proposed Friendship Agreement is expected to mark a significant milestone in Odisha’s international engagement strategy, paving the way for stronger people-to-people ties and long-term cooperation in economic, educational, cultural and industrial spheres between Odisha and Japan.
