2 min readBhubaneswarUpdated: Mar 25, 2026 07:37 AM IST
The Odisha government has decided to offer financial assistance for the opening of premium restaurants serving authentic Odia cuisine across Indian cities and tourist destinations with the aim of promoting the state through its rich and diverse culinary heritage.
The plan is part of Odisha’s tourism policy, which was recently amended in alignment with the state’s Vision 2036 plan and to place tourism as a catalyst for sustainability, cultural pride and global competitiveness.
As per the plan, Odisha Tourism has offered incentives — capital expenditures up to Rs 5 crore and operational expenditure for three years — to draw private investors to set up such restaurants.
The idea is to popularise traditional Odia dishes and their stories that connect generations, officials said.
The restaurants are planned in five metro cities, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. There is to be a maximum of five units per city. The restaurants are also being planned in five major tourist destinations — Agra, Varanasi, Goa, Kochi, and Jaipur, subject to a maximum of two units per destination.
“Food in Odisha is part of our cultural and religious life, and the diversity is something unique. There are temple cuisines, tribal cuisines, and food consumed by people of different regions — coastal, western and southern. The idea is to promote all these cuisines so that people outside the state will have a better understanding of it,” said Binod Jena, joint secretary, Tourism Department.
The restaurants must reflect Odisha’s cultural identity through their design and ambience and should engage trained staff in traditional Odia culinary practices, as per the plan. They should also preferably have clean public conveniences and adequate parking space, said Jena.
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Odisha Tourism will reimburse capital expenditure for furnishing, interiors and kitchen equipment for such restaurants.
The reimbursement of capital expenditure will be done in three instalments, while the operational expenditure, including reimbursement of monthly electricity charges, shall be provided for three years.
To promote and create more demand for Odia cuisine outside the state, the Tourism Department has also planned to engage brand ambassadors and influencers for Odia cuisine, conduct Odia food festivals, and give out cuisine awards, among other initiatives.
