Bhubaneswar, April 19 -- Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday termed the foundation laying of a semiconductor plant in Odisha a "historic day" and said the state is emerging as a key hub for advanced technology and electronics manufacturing, an "IT hub", in India.

Speaking to ANI, the Union Minister highlighted Odisha's rapid industrial transformation. He said, "It is indeed a very important day, a historical day today for Odisha because the semiconductor plant foundation will be done today. It's very important for Odisha to have a world-class, latest technology industry here. Odisha is now becoming an IT hub. It is becoming an electronics manufacturing hub. It is diversifying from metals and minerals to many new industrial bases."...