CETA to open gateway for Odisha farmers, entrepreneurs and exporters: Andrew Fleming
Bhubaneswar, Aug 21 (UNI) The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) will open new opportunities for small farmers, women entrepreneurs, start-ups, artisans, professionals, and exporters from Odisha, said Dr. Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner in India (East and Northeast).
Speaking at an interactive session with members of the Utkal Chamber of Commerce & Industry Ltd. (UCCIL), Fleming described CETA as a “world of opportunity” for Odisha’s dynamic business community.
He noted that anyone who has witnessed the vibrancy of Odisha’s economy, its enterprising people, and its global ambitions would agree that the state is the ideal place to discuss this landmark development in India–UK relations.
Currently, India–UK trade is valued at about USD 56 billion, split between goods and services, but Fleming emphasized that the potential is much greater.
Highlighting Odisha’s strengths, Fleming said products from Paradip and Dhamra ports, the craft villages of Raghurajpur, and seafood processing units along the coast already carry Odisha’s entrepreneurial spirit across the world. With CETA, he added, this reach will only expand and deepen.
“CETA goes beyond products—it opens doors for professionals such as IT engineers, financial consultants, healthcare workers, and educationists,” Fleming said.
With Bhubaneswar emerging as an IT hub and boasting a young, skilled workforce, Odisha is well-placed to enter the UK market, he observed and further stressed that CETA is not merely a free trade agreement but “a people’s agreement.”
Encouraging entrepreneurs, Fleming invited Odisha’s business community to seize this moment, explore partnerships, build value chains, and use the UK as a launchpad for global growth.
He assured that the British High Commission, along with its offices in Bhubaneswar and Kolkata, is ready to extend full support in this endeavour.
Along with Dr. Fleming, Sandip Chaudhury, Assistant Communications, Events & Visits Officer, and Swarnamayee Satapathy, Assistant (Business & Trade) of the British Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, briefed the roundtable and addressed queries from members and guests.
Concluding his address, Fleming appealed to all stakeholders to work together in writing a new chapter in India–UK trade relations—one that celebrates Odisha’s entrepreneurship, creates prosperity for both nations, and strengthens the values that connect Odisha with the UK.
The meeting was attended by distinguished chamber members, reputed entrepreneurs, exporters, and industrial leaders, under the chairmanship of UCCIL President Dr. Prabodh Mohanty.
