Bhubaneswar: Australian Consul General Bernard Lynch met Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy, KV Singh Deo, at Lok Seva Bhawan Tuesday. During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in renewable energy, agriculture, and technological innovation. Lynch lauded Odisha’s progress in the energy and agricultural sectors, highlighting that the state has outpaced the national average growth rate in agriculture. He also praised Odisha’s efforts to modernise its power infrastructure with advanced technologies, which have significantly improved power generation and transmission capacity.
Highlighting the state’s achievements, he noted that Odisha has made considerable progress toward building a sustainable and secure energy future. Singh Deo, in response, said the state government has recently launched several projects to boost renewable energy production and usage. He added that supportive policy frameworks have been established to effectively harness Odisha’s natural resources and accelerate the growth of clean energy.
On the agriculture front, the Deputy CM highlighted that Odisha is achieving record production levels, boosting farmer incomes and setting new benchmarks for the sector. Both leaders expressed optimism that the meeting would further strengthen collaboration between Australia, India, and Odisha, particularly in clean energy, agriculture, and technology. The partnership is expected to support the broader vision of a developed Odisha in line with India’s overall growth goals. Lynch also met Minister for Industries, Skill Development, and Technical Education Sampad Chandra Swain at his official residence here Tuesday.
The meeting focused on enhancing collaboration between Odisha and Australia in key areas such as industry, skill development, and technical education. Both sides explored ways to attract industrial investment and expand advanced technical training opportunities for youth. Lynch praised Paradip Port’s performance, noting its rise as a leading cargo-handling hub in India. He also praised the Odisha government’s welfare initiatives and its achievements in industrial growth and skill development over the past two years.
Expressing optimism about future collaboration, the Consul General emphasised that closer ties between Odisha and Australia could significantly contribute to the state’s economic growth while helping to develop a highly skilled workforce.
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