BHUBANESWAR: A French business delegation led by Alexandre Ziegler, Ambassador of France to India met chief minister Naveen Patnaik here at the state secretariat on Saturday to explore the investment opportunities in the state.Visit of the French delegation ahead of the second Make in Odisha conclave, state’s biennial investment summit raises hope of foreign investment in Odisha.“Honoured to meet CM of #Odisha, @Naveen_Odisha with a French business delegation. Thank you for an insightful conversation on how to increase our footprint in this fast growing state! #franceinindia,” the French envoy tweeted about his meeting with the chief minister.According to a statement issued by the chief minister’s office, the French delegation has evinced interest to invest in Odisha in sectors like hotel, steel, electrical appliances and power.The chief minister, during the meeting, presented state’s investment potential and invited the French investors to participate in the forthcoming Make in Odisha conclave scheduled from November 11 to 15 at the state capital.Highlighting state’s business ecosystem, Naveen said Odisha is the Aluminium Capital of South Asia accounting for over 54 per cent of the country’s production. “We are also counted as the steel hub of the country contributing to about a quarter of India’s steel production,” he added.Naveen said his government is engaged in laying a road map ‘Vision2030: Development of Downstream and Ancillary in Metal Sector’ with the aim to further vitalize downstream ecosystem of the state.To woo the investors ahead of the Make in Odisha conclave, the chief minister attended an investment roadshow in New Delhi on September 12. He is scheduled to attend a similar roadshow in Chennai on September 26.

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