Bhubaneswar: Strengthening critical mineral-based industries, addressing credit and regulatory challenges faced by MSMEs, and improving farmers’ incomes emerged as key priorities during a pre-budget consultation organised by the Nation First Policy Research and Change Foundation (NFPRC) Friday.
Bringing together over 25 experts from government, industry, academia, finance and the agricultural sector, the roundtable deliberated on Odisha-specific policy priorities and proposed actionable recommendations for the Union Budget 2027–28.
The discussions centred on three critical areas of Odisha’s economy: Strategic industries, mining and critical minerals; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and ease of doing business; and agriculture and the rural economy.
Opening the consultation, Achyut Shankar, Director – Outreach, NFPRC Foundation, emphasised the importance of integrating the ground realities of states into national budgetary priorities. He observed that Odisha, with its abundant mineral resources, expanding industrial base, growing MSME ecosystem and extensive rural economy, has significant potential to contribute to India’s development ambitions.
He encouraged participants to develop specific and actionable recommendations to improve the effectiveness of public expenditure. The first session, focusing on strategic industries, Mining and Critical Minerals, explored ways to strengthen domestic industrial capabilities and reduce dependence on imported critical materials and technologies.
Participants discussed opportunities in critical minerals, strategic materials, battery manufacturing, electric mobility, semiconductors, electronics, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure. A key theme was the need to move beyond mineral extraction towards greater downstream value addition within Odisha.
Participants also highlighted the importance of industry-academia collaboration, technology development and stronger research-to-market linkages to generate quality employment and build long-term industrial capabilities.