The Utkal Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ltd (UCCIL) had, on Tuesday, the 25th of April 2023 at Hotel Swosti Premium arranged a symposium on Future of Steelmaking in India; and the contribution of MSMEs of Odisha, as its downstream and ancillary. Chief Guest for the evening was Sri Arvind Pande, Retired IAS and former Chairman and CEO of the Navaratna, the Central Government’s apex steel body, the SAIL (Steel Authority of India Ltd). The Chief Speaker at the symposium was Sri Bimlendra Jha, the Managing Director of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd.
The President of UCCIL, Dr. Brahma Mishra did the welcome address where he said that Odisha Steel and Mines contribute 2% to our GDP. Hence, to tackle unemployment Odisha needs to concentrate more on the manufacturing sector. And the buzz today is that now it's time that India emerges as the manufacturing hub of the world. The whole world is looking up to India now. And thereby, expectation from Odisha in this regard is extremely high, and is rightly high. Dr Misghra welcomed the Chief Guest and the Chief Speaker at the beginning of the meeting.
The Guest of Honour Sri Sri U. N. Behera IAS (Retd), Former Chairman OERC who is also an honorary member of the UCCIL also welcomed the esteemed guests of the evening. Sri Behera harped that very aptly and timely, Odisha is focusing relentlessly in promoting the MSME sector.
The Guest of Honour Dr. Arun Kumar Rath, IAS (Retd), spoke in awe of the senior bureaucrat who was the Chief Guest for the evening and of the top corporate leader who was the Chief Speaker of the evening. He highlighted that Odisha, today, is a perfect hub, from the Mega Manufacturing Industry, to Trade, Cottage and Small Industry, from Textile to Steel, from Women Entrepreneurs to Rural Development.
The Chief Guest Sri Arvind Pande lauded the contribution of MSMEs of Odisha, in successfully being partner in the steel fraternity as its downstream and ancillary. He also lauded the contribution of the Government and of the whole Industry fraterminy in bringing up the Start-up and MSMEs into the mainstream Steel building in Odisha. Mr. Pande congratulated and encouraged the varied industries operating at a Medium, Small and Micro level to support, to compliment and to supplement the mother, the parent, the major sectors of the industry. Odisha has almost all the basic raw materials for Steel, Aluminum, and Ferro Alloys to manufacture almost everything and anything from minting coins to manufacturing spare parts of defense equipment.
The Chief Speaker at the symposium, Sri Bimlendra Jha, the MD of JSPL did a thorough review of the journey of steel and aluminium manufacturing in India. He also said that Steel and Cement, apart from being the foremost manufacturing industries, are the highest contributing to the global pollution, and that as a responsible global power, not only his company but the global steel section of industrial development is focusing on reducing and containing this pollution. Sri Jha gave assurance to the UCCIL and to Odisha in general to help and support the industrialization, skill upgradation and employability of the state.
On this occasion UCCIL felicitated one of India’s top journalists of yesteryears, the padmashree awardee, Mrs Mrinal Pande, who had been a household name across the country as one of the most popular faces on Doordarshan TV.
Sri A.K. Sharda, the Honourary Secretary of UCCIL did the vote of thanks as he concluded the session for the day. The whole audience in the hall paid a standing ovation to all the three distinguished invitees, the veteran journalist, the top bureaucrat who envisioned a New India championing Steel and the Global Corporate Leader in India.
