By Bizodisha Bhubaneswar, August 23, 2025: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday unveiled the country’s first integrated global financial technology capability hub (I-GFTCH) as part of the Bharatnetra initiative here.

Addressing the gathering, the chief minister said “The initiative will also help strengthen the country’s global leadership in the fast growing digital economy. It reflects our commitment to bring the best of the world to Odisha, and take Odisha to the world,” he said adding that I-GFTCH is a leap forward in the state’s vision to emerge as a global hub for FinTech.

With a strong network of tech institutes, Majhi said, the state has a strong talent pool and produces 1.8 lakh graduates annually. “The semiconductor projects approved recently will create thousands of jobs. Our goal is to place Odisha among the top five Indian states in per capita income. As we contribute to the Viksit Bharat-2047 mission, Odisha will play a central role in making India a global economic leader,” he said.

Stating that Odisha is the first state to formulate an AI policy, the CM informed, a dedicated FinTech policy and GCC policy will be launched soon to attract global investments. This, he said, is in line with the vision of the Prime Minister to upskill three crore youth of the country with an investment of `1 lakh crore.

Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Bharatnetra is a nation-building mission. “We are laying the foundation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision Viksit Bharat@2047 by skilling and educating our youth and creating a globally-connected FinTech and InsurTech hub in Odisha,” he said.

Pradhan said the initiative will ensure that students from Odisha can open pathways for employment and entrepreneurship, and take leadership in financial inclusion and innovation.

The I-GFTCH will be implemented through a globally-integrated four-pillar strategy designed to build world-class fintech capabilities. Odisha has partnered with National University of Singapore, Asian Institute of Digital Finance and GFTN to launch certificate course in FinTech and InsurTech (CFI), a five-month hybrid programme combining course-work, in-person sessions in Bhubaneswar, projects and internships.

Group CEO of GFTN Sopnendu Mohanty said, “It is yet another step forward in advancing Singapore-India bilateral ties.”

It will open access for local talent to global markets and foster cutting-edge innovation by building a robust startup ecosystem. With the certificate course we are building a bridge between Odisha’s rich heritage and its digital future,” he said.

The programme will train 7,000 students over five years in technology, regulation and business, building a future-ready workforce for FinTech and InsurTech. Supported by the Skill Development Institute, with a view to national accreditation, it has already drawn 2,000 applicants from over 50 colleges for the inaugural 375-seat cohort starting September.

Electronics and IT minister Mukesh Mahaling, Higher Education minister Suryavanshi Suraj, principal secretary of IT Vishal Dev, Higher Education secretary Aravind Agrawal and chairman of General Insurance Council Tapan Singhe were present among others.