A unique research institute called the Odisha Research Center (ORC) has been launched. Its main objective is to explore the rich cultural and historical heritage of Odisha and to promote multidisciplinary research. The institute is the result of a collaboration between prestigious institutions such as the Indian Council of Social Science and Research (ICSSR), the Indian Knowledge Systems division of the Ministry of Education, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bhubaneswar, and Indian Institute of Management-Sambalpur.

Speaking on the occasion union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "History works as a mirror to the future. Due to proper research and lack of factual evidence, the prosperous and glorious past of Odisha is restricted to folklore. ORC will conduct a study on the past, present and future of Odisha based on fact-based evidence. The institute will chalk out a road map for growth and development of the state and its people keeping an eye on 2036 and 2047, when Odisha will turn 100 and India will complete 100 years of independence".

The Odisha Research Centre (ORC) aims to be a one-stop-shop for any researcher interested in the region's culture, engineering, and management. The centre aims to showcase the three-millennia-long development of society and its significant contributions to the world. ORC is a unique experiment and a first-of-its-kind institute, according to K Sanjay Murthy, the Union Education Secretary. The success of ORC will determine if such centres can be replicated in other regions, to capture the rich history and culture of the country. This initiative aligns with the National Education Policy 2020, which aims to preserve and promote the Indian knowledge system.

Currently as part of a multidisciplinary approach many interesting researches are anchored by institutes like IITs and IIMs. All such research will be brought under one umbrella in ORC. "How do we connect the past to the present and the future through research will be done here. The researchers are going to work on how Odisha served as the bridge between the north and south, intermixing the old tribal and Jagannath culture. They will work on people, technology, Sastras, tribal cultures and how we can learn from them. It will be a youth focused center where the primary thrust is to make sure that the parampara and knowledge tradition remain alive by passing it to the new generation. A hub for anything related to Odisha and any scholar can come and do research on Odisha", said Prof Ganti Suryanarayana Murthy, national coordinator of the Indian Knowledge System.