Orissa is often referred to as a neglected state. After India’s independence, the central government invested money in many states, but mainly ignored Orissa. Because of this lack of funding, Orissa has fallen behind many other states in India in terms of their economic development.

For example, eighty percent of the roads in Orissa are unpaved. In the rural area, more than half of the residents do not have access to safe drinking water.

Orissa’s main strength is its natural resources. Most of the chromite in India comes from Orissa. One fifth of the coal in India is found here.

Orissa is largely agricultural. Rice is the main crop grown here. One tenth of India’s rice comes from Orissa. Other crops grown here are oil seeds, coconut and sugar cane. There are also cash crops grown here such as rubber, tea and cotton.

As the first state to privatize its electricity transmission, Orissa does well in terms of power generation. They produce electricity through the use of both coal and river water.

Orissa only has one port, Pardip. Two more towns, Dhamra and Gopalpur are being developed into port cities. Pardip was recently selected to become a Special Economic Region by the Indian government. The government is planning to build a top of the line infrastructure designed to encourage private investments. It is estimated that the investments might reach over ninety million dollars.

Freshwater fishing is done on the coastal region of Orissa. The main seafood which comes from Orissa is the prawn. It is a popular variety which brings in a good profit.

Because of its rich history, Orissa is a popular tourist destination. Many of the historical sites date back to the Stone Age. Orissa also has a great eco-tourism program including wildlife sanctuaries. Many people create handicrafts which are sold to tourists in the region.

Despite its traditional routes, much of Orissa is quite modernized. ATM machines, quality hotels and rental car companies are easily found. Orissa is a popular place to hold business conferences. There are many venues which can host over four thousand people at once. In the capitol city of Bhubaneswar, there are over eighty hotels. At the popular seaside resort town of Puri, there are sixty hotels, many of which are considered high quality