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The Odisha cabinet has approved the Global Capability Centre (GCC) Policy 2025 to position the state as a major hub for IT, R&D, analytics, finance and support services. The policy focuses on world-class infrastructure, a skilled workforce and progressive incentives, with plans to attract over INR 1,000 crore in investments and set up five GCC hubs across two major corridors. These hubs are expected to create more than 50,000 jobs. The policy offers land concessions, rental support, power subsidies, SGST reimbursements and sector-specific incentives. Alongside this, the state has introduced an e-lottery system for minor mineral leases and enhanced scholarships for SC/ST students, supporting broader regional and social development goals.
The Odisha state cabinet, led by Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi, has approved the Global Capability Centre Policy 2025, marking a strategic shift to position the state as a top destination for capability centres. The policy is designed to attract multinational corporations seeking to centralise core operations-such as IT services, R&D, analytics, finance, and customer support-in a cost-efficient yet highly capable ecosystem. Advertisement
At its core, the policy rests on three pillars: delivering world-class infrastructure, cultivating a skilled workforce, and providing progressive incentives. Officials expect the initiative to catalyse investments exceeding INR 1,000 crore and foresee the establishment of five dedicated GCC hubs in two major corridors: the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Paradip belt, and the Bargarh-Jharsuguda-Sambalpur region.
These hubs are projected to generate over 50,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, primarily across IT and related sectors. To make the offer more compelling, the policy builds on Odisha's recently announced IT Policy and layers in additional benefits: concessional land rates, lease-rental support, subsidised power tariffs, interest subsidies, SGST reimbursements, and PF/ESI contributions.
Beyond that, there are specialised incentives tailored for GCCs: capital grants, shared infrastructure support, relocation assistance (including for overseas firms), co-working space subsidies, internship facilitation, recruitment help, and bespoke packages for large-scale GCCs.
To guide and monitor implementation, the government will form a Policy Advocacy & Vision Group (PAVG) comprising experts from industry, academia, and policy circles. The nodal executing body will be the Odisha Computer Application Centre (OCAC), while the Electronics & IT Department will periodically assess progress and refine the strategy.
This policy dovetails with Odisha's long-range Viksit Odisha roadmap for 2036 and 2047, emphasising not just investment but also balanced regional development: instead of focusing solely on Bhubaneswar, the plan explicitly encourages GCC activity in emerging Tier-II cities.
In tandem with the GCC push, the government also overhauled its rules for minor mineral leasing. A new e-lottery system will now govern the allotment of quarry leases for minerals like sand and stone, and there are stricter controls on the number of leases a single entity can hold (maximum three per district, five statewide). To prevent monopolies, the government may retain up to 40% of any mineral block and reassign it to the public when supply is tight.
Moreover, the revised mineral-regulation rules empower authorities to blacklist or penalise leaseholders who violate terms. These regulations replace older guidelines and are being hailed as among the most technologically advanced in the country.
On the social front, Odisha has enhanced its scholarship support for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students under its Mukhya Mantri Medhabi Chatra Protsahan Yojana: boys now receive INR 16,000 annually, up from INR 10,500, and girls get INR 17,000, up from INR 11,000.
By approving the GCC-2025 policy, Odisha is making a deliberate bet on the future: rather than merely supplying raw materials or basic manufacturing, it is building an advanced-services ecosystem that can host global talent. The balanced design of its incentives - from infrastructure to scholarships - reflects a vision that marries economic ambition with social inclusivity. With transparent mineral-lease reforms and targeted investment in Tier-II regions, the state may well be crafting a more equitable, diversified growth narrative for the decades ahead.
Source: PTI
5th Jun, 2025
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