Odisha Chief Minister Invites Singapore President To Visit State

Odisha CM Majhi invited Singapore President Tharman to visit Odisha in January and also informed that construction of World Skill Centre will start next month.

Singapore:Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has invited Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam during his visit to India in January 2025 and said Singapore's petrochemical industry and port models will be adopted in the development of Paradeep Port in the coastal state.

"We have invited President Tharman to visit Odisha in January," he said, listing out studies he and his delegation carried out during their four-day tour to Singapore. "Jurong Island Petrochemical Industrial base and Tuas Port models will be adopted in the ongoing multi-billion-dollar development at Paradeep Port," he told PTI on Wednesday.

An agreement is being worked out with Surbana Jurong, a Singapore government-owned engineering consultancy, to help work on the Jurong and Tuas models, he added.

The chief minister informed that construction of the second phase of the World Skill Centre at Bhubaneswar, modelled on Singapore's Institute of Technical Education (ITE), will start next month. Today, 4,000 students have graduated from the ITES first phase, and the second phase campus will have the capacity to accommodate 2,000 students each year.

Majhi visited various facilities including a port logistics centre, a semiconductor plant and an electronics hub as well as international shipping groups AP Moller and Maersk. A Maersk managing director is expected to visit Odisha later this month for the planned logistics hub in the state.

"We are studying the urban transportation network and road planning of Singapore," Majhi said, adding that there is a need to study Singapore's road management and public transport system.

Besides, 24 interns from Phase I of the World Skill Centre, designed by ITES of Singapore, are now studying in the city state's top engineering institute, said the chief minister, adding that plans are to continue sending more batches of interns to Singapore.

During his visit, Majhi also met senior executives of Singapore-based companies including those from GIC, Sembcorp, Everstone Capital and Linde as well as shipping giants AP Moller and Maersk.

Talks are in progress for 25 Singapore-based companies for participation in the 'Make in Odisha Conclave 2025'. These companies will be led by Enterprise Singapore, a state agency for the promotion of investment and trade. The Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Singapore Business Federation have been urged to lead delegates to the conclave, he said.

Majhi held a roundtable with 15 companies led by Enterprise Singapore. He called on Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Kiat and met Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann and Transport Minister Cheng.