Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has evinced interest to set up a dedicated machine took park in Kalinga Nagar and has submitted a proposal to the Centre in this regard.
According to the detailed project report, the park will have 58 units and would require an investment of Rs 280 crore towards infrastructure. Around 80 per cent of this cost will come in as grant from the Centre.
The remaining 20 per cent and land needs will be fulfilled by the Odisha government. Another ₹500 crore of investment is expected to be made by the units that will set up shop there. The project will provide employment for 1,500 people.
The focus will be on machine tools, tooling, dies and moulds; the heavy electrical equipment sector; the mining and construction equipment segment and metallurgical machinery, including steel plant equipment. Other focus sectors would be plastics processing machinery and textile & jute machinery.
According to Hindu Business Line, Union Minister (for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises), Anant Geete, during the Capital Goods in Steel Sector: Manufacture in India conclave, assured support to the State government for such a proposal.
If this materialises, it will be the second such machine tool park after Tumkur in Karnataka.
According to Principal Secretary of Industries Department Sanjeev Chopra, the (tool park) proposal is also in line with the State’s vision of promoting downstream industries in the metal sector.
Chopra added that the process of developing dedicated parks like the National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (a steel cluster) in Kalinga Nagar and an aluminium park at Angul have already been initiated. The work on the project will start as soon as the Centr’s nod is received.