Bhubaneswar, Aug 25 (PTI) The Odisha government is aiming at making the state a hub for the sports industry and inviting companies operating in the sector to set up their manufacturing units, a minister said.

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The coastal state has become an attractive destination for investors, MSME Minister D S Mishra said.

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"Going forward, the government will provide an ecosystem to help the sports sector serve not only Indian requirements but also meet global demands," he said at a virtual programme on 'Building Odisha State Capabilities for Global Value Chain' organised by Assocham on Tuesday.

Odisha has the cheapest per unit cost of production in the country, he said, adding that the government is willing to provide all the facilities and subsidies to the industries.

The minister's comment came after the Naveen Patnaik government, which has been sponsoring both men's and women's hockey teams since 2018, had announced it would continue to support the game for another 10 years.

From the global value chain point of view, the state is emerging as one of the most important destinations for businesses, industries secretary Hemant Sharma said.

Odisha is traditionally known as a mineral-rich state and the mining sector has led to an intensive process of industrialisation, particularly in the last two decades, he said.

The state also enjoys locational advantages for having a 480 kilometre-long coastline and many ports.

“Therefore, for any industry that wants to plug into the global value chains, whether it is for the supply of goods, finished products or raw materials, we enjoy a unique identity in terms of the linkages to the outside world," Sharma said.

Talking about the tourism potential in Kalahandi, the minister said the district has emerged as an attractive destination for travellers who can meet local tribal people and learn about their culture.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)