Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, on Friday, launched the country’s first Integrated Global Financial Technology Capability Hub (I-GFTCH), as part of ‘BharatNetra initiative’, in Bhubaneswar that aims to connect India to the Asia Pacific Innovation Corridor.
The initiative was launched by CM Majhi in the presence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha Electronics & IT Minister Mukesh Mahaling and GFTN CEO Sopnendu Mohanty and others.
The I-GFTCH positions Bhubaneswar as a rising nerve centre in India’s evolving innovation ecosystem, aligning seamlessly with the state and nation’s development priorities and its ambition to be a leader in fostering entrepreneurship, industry ready skills, generating employment, inclusive finance, and next-generation innovation.
Terming the initiative a transformative initiative that will shape the future of finance in Odisha, CM Majhi said it will strengthen India’s global leadership in the digital economy.
“Odisha will play a central role in making India a global economic leader,” the chief minister said.
The I-GFTCH has been launched by Odisha government in collaboration with Global Finance & Technology Network Singapore (GFTN), National University of Singapore and Asian Institute of Digital Finance.
Under the initiative, Majhi said that over 7,000 students from across all 30 districts of the state will get skill training, and it will run certification programmes designed by the Asian Institute of Digital Finance at the National University of Singapore.
The CM stated that the initiative was an outcome of the historic visit of Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to Odisha in January this year.
“The state will nurture startups and entrepreneurs by establishing a dedicated Centre of Excellence within this Hub,” he said, adding that the project will also establish a Global Capability Centre (GCC).
Stating that Odisha will soon formulate a GCC policy, the chief minister said this will act as a strong foundation for attracting global financial institutions and new investments to the state.
“A cable landing station connecting Bhubaneswar to Singapore is being established,” he said, adding that this would help improve the state’s digital infrastructure.
Odisha is the first state to formulate an AI Policy and the state is also in the process of launching a dedicated FinTech Policy and GCC Policy as well to attract global investments, he added.
“Odisha is building one of the strongest talent pipelines in India as the state produces about 1.8 lakh graduates annually in various engineering, polytechnics, and IT streams, and skilled youths in 950 it is,” the CM stated.
He said in addition to skilling, Odisha has established a Deep Neural Network Laboratory and other Centres of Excellence. “Our vision is to make Odisha the Research Capital of the East,” the chief minister underlined.
Besides, Majhi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the central government’s approval for two semiconductor fabrication units in Odisha. He said semiconductors are the building blocks of the digital economy and Odisha is proud to play a leadership role in this national mission.
On the occasion, the CM also launched BharatNetra Hackathon Website and a GCC + overall programme was also announced.
Pradhan said that Odisha’s vision aligns with India’s national priority to skill the state’s youth for the global digital economy.
“BharatNetra is a nation-building mission. By skilling and educating our youth and creating a globally connected FinTech and InsurTech hub here in Odisha, we are laying the foundation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision Viksit Bharat by 2047. This initiative will ensure that Odisha students, from our villages to our cities, can not only open pathways for employment and entrepreneurship but also strengthen India’s leadership in financial inclusion and innovation. For India’s youth, employability is no longer just about degrees, it is about readiness to thrive in fast-changing industries. BharatNetra bridges this gap by embedding real-world industry needs into our students learning journey,” Pradhan stated.
GFTN Group CEO Sopnendu Mohanty said the BharatNetra Initiative and the Integrated Global Financial Technology Capability Hub will redefine Odisha’s role as India’s strategic gateway to the Asia-Pacific financial technology corridor.
