Bhubaneswar: Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal on Saturday met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and discussed progress on the group’s proposed Rs one lakh crore aluminium project in Odisha.
The discussions focused on accelerating execution milestones and strengthening industry- government collaboration to unlock Odisha’s next phase of industrial development, officials said.
The proposed project, comprising a cutting-edge 30 lakh tonnes per annum aluminium smelter in Dhenkanal district and a 60 lakh tonnes per annum alumina refinery in Rayagada district, marks a transformational step in India’s industrial growth journey.
In addition, the Dhenkanal plant will also supply high-quality hot metal to Vedanta’s downstream aluminium parks in Odisha, enhancing value addition and innovation in domestic manufacturing.
On completion, the investment will enhance Vedanta’s cumulative aluminium production capacity to 60 lakh tonnes per annum, enabling it to cater to India’s rapidly growing demand for the metal of the future.
During the discussion, Anil Agrawal also proposed a brownfield expansion of 1 MTPA aluminimum smelter at Jharsuguda.
During the discussion, the Chief Minister said the state government is keen on creating massive jobs opportunities for the youth. Therefore, the state is striving for investments from across the nation and around the world. Considering the huge potential of these projects in job creation and local development, the government will provide all possible support to these investments in aluminium, the CM said.
The Vedanta Chairman said the proposed investments aim to establish a world-class industrial ecosystem that powers India’s ambitions in infrastructure, energy transition, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technologies. “Together with the government of Odisha, we are committed to building globally competitive assets, creating large-scale employment, strengthening local enterprises, and contributing meaningfully to a Viksit Bharat,” he said.
Agarwal also informed that Vedanta will establish a 1000 bedded hospital in Western Odisha.
During the meeting, Aarwal also reaffirmed Vedanta’s commitment to a prosperous Odisha, a robust partnership that has taken shape over two decades.
The upcoming project is set to generate over 2 lakh direct and indirect fresh employment opportunities and trigger a multiplier effect across India’s logistics, infrastructure, engineering, and ancillary industries, generating over 20 lakh livelihood opportunities. The investment will also support import substitution across strategic natural resources, while fostering the growth of thousands of MSMEs and supplier businesses.
Aluminium plays a crucial role in the global energy transition, serving as an essential material for renewable energy, power transmission, electric vehicles, aerospace, and next-generation infrastructure.
Furthermore, from power transmission and distribution to cooling systems and heat exchangers, the growth of AI infrastructure such as data centres is opening new avenues for aluminium demand.
The proposed investments such as the world’s largest single-location aluminium smelter at Jharsuguda and a world-class alumina refinery at Lanjigarh, have the potential to make Odisha the Aluminium Hub of India.
