Odisha Is the 9th Largest State in India in Terms Area

Introduction

        Odisha is the 9th largest state in India in terms area and 11th largest state in terms of population. With Bhubaneswar being the capital of Odisha, Odia is the official language of the state. The state has lot of cultural heritage with fine temples and other legacy tourist spots. Odisha is unique for its tourism, cuisine and dance (odissi). Over 81% of its population speaks Odia and about 94% of its population are Hindus. The state has very connectivity with network of roads, rails, seaports and airports with its capital city connected very strong to the rest of the country. There are 30 districts in the state and they have been placed under three different revenue divisions for streamlining the governance.

        The political scenario in the state has been quite stable for the past 18 years with ‘Biju Janata Dal’ party in the power and Mr. Naveen Patnaik being the chief Minister for the past 18 years. Other major parties in the state are Indian National Congress(INC) and Bhartiya Janata Party(BJP). Odisha has been experiencing a steady economic growth with impressive Gross Domestic Product ( GDP). The capital city Bhubaneswar was the first city in the list of smart cities released by the central government. The state is known for its abundant natural resources and the large coast line which makes it very much accessible. The state has had very impressive industrial development on account of a good overseas investments.

        To grab a significant attention in the global industrial map, The Odisha government has made serious efforts to promote ‘Brand Odisha’ with the objective ‘to promote the state as a choice for investment destination and to seek global investment’. Five thrust sectors including downstream and ancillary, textile, electronic system design and manufacturing, food processing and plastics, Chemicals and petrochemicals have been identified to focus on so as to improve the ease of doing business in these sectors.

        There are many ambitions set under Brand Odisha program. Few of them are: to focus on non-minerals industries, to be a largest steel producer in India, to improve the states’ pie in the FDI inflow figure, increase in the influence of government in the manufacturing sector, etc. This ‘brand Odisha’ is attributed as the Chief Minister Mr. Naveen Patnaik’s approach to make-in-Odisha. Many initiatives were taken in this regard and to highlight one- a five-day flagship biennial global investors’ carnival which is billed as one of the largest investment summits of the country had been organized under the ‘Brand Odisha’ program.

        Apart from these, the government also emphasize on setting global standard in disaster management, food security and to lift maximum number of people above poverty. Also, the state has set Vision 2025 for industrial development in six focus sectors under the ‘Brand Odisha’ Program. Many initiatives are taken under ‘Brand Odisha’ and the major ones are ‘make-in-Odisha’, ‘Skilled in Odisha’ and ‘I am Odisha’ campaigns.

        This report further explains the strategic approaches that was handled in the successful run of “Brand Odisha’.

5C Analysis

Company:

Odisha (formerly Orissa), is an East Indian state situated on the coast along the Bay of Bengal. Odisha stands for its ancient glory and modern endeavour. It covers a journey from being the homeland of 67 tribal communities to becoming a sports destination and an investment haven. The competitive advantage that Odisha tourism brings is the uniqueness it offers across the state. Each part of the state has an untold story with rich cultural heritage and natural beauty. Be it the architecture (Nagara style with unique Odisha style), Odissi dance, Folk dance, sports, Cuisine and natural resources, Odisha has something unique to offer at very stage and provide a sustainable competitive advantage for its tourism.

Customers:

As recent study showed that, there is an increasing trend in tourist (National & Foreign) visiting Odisha. Odisha know for rich cultural heritage, taking its roots from Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism attracts a lot of religious pilgrims. The major customer segment that one should target is people who want to experience unexplored places, that 500km coastline, rare social culture, festivals and unique cuisine and historical sites. Serviceable obtainable market covers the above segment across demographics.

Collaborators:

The Odisha tourism development corporation under Odisha government is the major player as tourism is major source of revenue here. Apart from that, each districts have been taking steps to promote tourism through their unique culture. For example – Rath yatra, Konark festivals, Mukteswar dance festival, national crafts mela, Mahotsava in sambalpur, parab in koraput etc. Also civil societies and industry subgroups are providing a push through festivals like beach festivals across beaches and other gatherings

Competitors:

With India ranked at 40th (2017 ranking) in travel and tourism, at international level, Asian countries offer a huge competition and In India, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Maharastra are the most visited states. Recent initiatives by Government to ease the transportation issues has seen in increase in customer visits.

Context:

 Government of India’s tourism initiatives to make India an international hub for tourist has already given a great push. India is ranked 10th in terms of price competitiveness out of 136 countries. With Smart city initiatives and increase in infrastructure spending, Odsiha tourism has been positively impacted and generated high economic value for the state. Area of concern will be environmental problems, with Odisha being a state of rich natural resources proper care has to be taken to provide sustainability.

Strategy

Step 1: Establish what Odisha represents, at its core

Orissa has a large variety of tribal communities dispersed at various locations of the state, At one extreme are the groups which lead a relatively secluded and archaic mode of life, keeping their core culture intact, while at the other extreme there are communities which are indistinguishable from the general agricultural communities. The tribal people express their cultural identity and distinctiveness in their social organization, language, rituals and festivals and also in their dress, ornaments, art and craft.