The State SDG Cell under the Planning and Convergence Department, Government of Odisha, inaugurated a two-day workshop titled “Leveraging Blue and Green Economy for a Resilient Future” at Hotel Crown in Bhubaneswar today.
Running from January 29 to 30, 2026, the event aims to foster dialogue on integrating blue economy (sustainable ocean and coastal resources) and green economy (environmentally friendly growth) strategies to strengthen climate resilience, promote inclusive development, and advance Odisha’s ambitious vision of Viksit Odisha @2036.
The workshop brings together senior policymakers, experts from national think tanks, academia, UN agencies, civil society, private sector leaders, and community representatives to explore actionable pathways for a sustainable and resilient future.
In his keynote address during the inaugural session, Deoranjan Kumar Singh, IAS, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary, Planning and Convergence Department, emphasised the critical role of environmental sustainability through green economy initiatives in shaping Odisha’s long-term development.
Dr Ashish Chaturvedi, Head of the Environment, Energy and Resilience pillar at UNDP India, highlighted India’s strong commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via integrated blue and green economy frameworks.
The first day featured three technical sessions with 21 speakers overall across the workshop. Discussions centred on green economy aspects, including:
- Session I: Sustainable blue and green economic growth from India’s perspective, potential for coastal states, climate change, and energy security. Speakers included Dr Neelam Patel, Senior Advisor (Agriculture), NITI Aayog, and Ashok Singha, MD, ASCERT Network Advisors, Odisha.
- Session II: Sustainable climate-smart agriculture with inclusive approaches. Panellists were Nitin Bassi, Fellow, CEEW, New Delhi; Dr Bibhu Prasad Nayak, Professor, TISS-Hyderabad and Member, 6th State Finance Commission, Odisha; and Dr Debal Deb, Practitioner of Indigenous Seed Conservation, Rayagada.
- Session III: Pillars of the green economy, covering water security, futuristic technologies for strengthening the green economy, and green value chains with a focus on responsible consumption and production. Experts included Dr A. Sarangi, Director, ICAR-IIWM, Bhubaneswar; Amit Kumar, Manager, Skyvan Aviation; and Dr M.K. Ram Mohan, Director, MPEDA, Kochi.
The day also included participation from senior officials such as Principal Secretary, F&ARD, S.K. Vashisth, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Cooperation Department, Rajesh Pravakar Patil, Additional Secretary-cum-MD, OLIC, Mansi Nimbhal, and other key representatives from the Government of Odisha and the Planning & Convergence Department.
An audio-visual film on SDGs was screened, and the booklet “Aspirational, Sustainable Snippets of Success from the Heartland – Vol-2” was released during the event.
Alka Jena, Director, SDG Cell, proposed the vote of thanks.
The workshop is expected to reinforce Odisha’s SDG framework by aligning policies, innovations, and community efforts toward building a resilient, sustainable, and inclusive future aligned with national and global sustainability goals.
