Bhubaneswar, Jan 28 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he cannot accept raw materials getting exported and finished products being shipped into the country, asserting that value additions must happen here.

Inaugurating the 'Utkarsh Odisha, Make in Odisha Conclave' in Bhubaneswar, Modi said he considers eastern India as the growth engine of the country, and the state plays an important role in it.

"The country's development is not possible only by exporting raw materials. Therefore, we are changing the entire ecosystem and working with a new vision," he said.

"The minerals are extracted here and they are exported to some other country where value addition is done and new products are made. These finished products are then sent back to India. This trend is not acceptable to Modi," he added.

The PM said the aspirations of crores of people were driving India's movement on the path of development.

"Today, India is moving on a path of development driven by the aspirations of crores of people. This is an era of AI, and everyone is talking about AI. However, the aspiration of India, not just AI, is the power of our country. Aspiration grows when the needs of the people are fulfilled. In the last decade, the country has witnessed the benefit of empowering crores of people. Odisha represents the same aspiration," he said.

"Odisha is outstanding and represents the originality and optimism of the new India. Odisha has opportunities, and the people of Odisha have exhibited the spirit of outperforming," he added.

Modi said ASEAN countries have shown interest in strengthening trade ties with Odisha.

"I consider eastern India as the growth engine of the country, with Odisha playing a crucial role in this. History shows that during times when India significantly contributed to global growth, eastern India also made important contributions," he said.

"I am confident that Odisha will very soon reach heights of development that no one has ever imagined. I am happy that the entire team of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is committed to accelerating the development of the state," he said. PTI AAM SOM

Value addition requirement: India will block export-driven raw-material supply chains to ensure manufacturing and value creation domestically. A policy directive declares that exporting raw materials for processing abroad is unacceptable and requires value addition to occur within India, signaling an ecosystem-wide shift to retain and enhance domestic value chains. The statement identifies Odisha as a strategic regional growth engine, affirms governmental commitment to accelerate state industrialization, connects the policy to broader aspirations of economic empowerment and technological advancement, and notes external trade interest in the region.