Odisha Signs Friendship Agreement with Tottori Prefecture

On 11 November 2026, the Odisha government signed a friendship agreement with Japan’s Tottori Prefecture in Bhubaneswar. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Tottori Governor Shinji Hirai signed the agreement, which covers economic development, tourism, culture and people-to-people exchanges. Around 80 Japanese delegates from industry, technical institutions, banking, finance and trade attended.

Cooperation and institutional agreements

Two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed to promote startup collaboration, business links and human resource development. The first, between Startup Odisha and the Director of Industries, Tottori Prefecture, provides for business matchmaking, startup exchanges, accelerator programmes, mentoring and links between enterprises and investors.

The second MoU involves the World Skill Centre in Bhubaneswar, Tottori Prefecture and Nihon Edutech. It aims to develop skills and provide Odisha’s youth with international exposure and employment opportunities in Japan. Odisha Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain said the World Skill Centre partnership would support industry-aligned vocational training in manufacturing and nursing care, alongside Japanese-language training.

Majhi invited Japanese businesses to explore Odisha’s micro, small and medium enterprises, startups, industrial clusters and skilled workforce. He cited Japanese companies operating in Odisha, including Indo Nissin, Nippon Steel, JFE Steel, Krosaki, TYK, Yokohama, IHI and Toray.

Important Facts for Exams

• Legal status: For cross-border MoUs, the label alone does not settle whether they are binding; parties’ intent, signatories’ positions and wording must be examined.
• Regional geography: Tottori lies in Japan’s Chūgoku region on western Honshu’s Sea of Japan coast; Chūgoku comprises five prefectures.
• Prefectural governance: Under Japan’s Local Autonomy Act, prefectural governors and assemblies are both directly elected, giving each prefecture an executive and a representative legislature.
• Vocational training partnership: Odisha’s World Skill Center was developed with technical support from Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education Services, linking its training model to Singapore’s vocational system.