Manas Nayak receives prestigious gold medal for metallurgical excellence
Odisha witnessed a proud moment as NIT Rourkela awarded its prestigious Dr Bansidhar Panda Gold Medal for 2026 to Manas Nayak. He emerged as the topper of the B.Tech programme in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. NITI Aayog member Prof Abhay Karandikar graced the 24th Annual Convocation as the Chief Guest to present this honour on September 12.
Instituted in 2019, this endowment rewards outstanding engineering students while honouring IMFA founder Dr Bansidhar Panda. Dr Panda dedicated his life to advancing technical education across Odisha, heavily influencing the metallurgical landscape of the state. Earning degrees from Harvard University and Michigan Technological University, he brought global industrial insights back to his home region. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of Governors at NIT Rourkela from 2002 to 2007. Recognizing these immense contributions, the institute awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2015.
Congratulating the young achiever, IMFA Chief Human Resources Officer Sanjaya Kumar Satapathy shared his thoughts. He noted that this medal recognizes academic brilliance in materials engineering while encouraging young professionals to build purposeful careers. Satapathy highlighted the deeply valued association between IMFA and NIT Rourkela, wishing Nayak great success ahead.
Expanding Industrial footprints
Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA) continues to support this educational initiative. Established in 1961 with its headquarters in Bhubaneswar, the company operates as India’s largest fully integrated producer of value-added ferro chrome. Current operations include an installed furnace capacity of 289 MVA, yielding 434,000 tonnes annually. The company runs captive chrome ore mines in Sukinda and Mahagiri, alongside manufacturing hubs in Therubali, Choudwar, and Kalinganagar.
Furthermore, they power these facilities using 200 MW of coal-based energy and 4.55 MWp of solar capacity. Future greenfield expansions in Kalinganagar will boost their total furnace capacity to 355 MVA. Diversifying their portfolio, the company is also constructing a 120 kLD grain-based ethanol plant in Therubali.
