Bhubaneswar, September 23: The Odisha Government on Wednesday approved 27 major industrial projects worth Rs 2,47,115 crore at the 46th meeting of the High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA), chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, with a combined employment potential of 50,162 jobs across 15 districts.
Four projects in IT, IT-enabled services and data centres account for about Rs 1,42,941 crore, more than half of the total investment proposals.
The High Density Datacentre Limited will set up an integrated data centre in Khordha with an investment of Rs 1,04,550 crore, creating 1,000 jobs, HCL Technologies Limited will build an AI-optimised data centre in the same district for Rs 14,257 crore, generating 385 jobs.
Similarly, Sentraforge AI Ltd will establish an AI data centre and global capability centre in Puri with Rs 22,634 crore and 2,320 jobs. RKD Construction Private Limited will put up a data centre in Cuttack with Rs 1,500 crore and 220 jobs.
Four projects totalling Rs 54,287.70 crore in power and energy formed the second large block, with job 5,300 job opportunities. NLC India Limited received clearance for a 3,200 MW thermal plant in Debagarh at Rs 34,763.51 crore, generating 4,100 jobs and a 1,080 MW thermal plant in Angul at a cost of Rs 11,604.19 crore, with 1,000 employment potential.
The HLCA also cleared two pumped-storage hydro projects were also cleared. According to the official release, a 600 MW plant worth Rs 4,020 crore will be set up in Rayagada by BEKEM Infra Projects Private Limited and a 750 MW plant in Koraput by Sri Avantika Contractor (I) Limited at a cost of Rs 3,900 crore.
Two projects in Sundargada involving Rs 14,000 crore have been cleared by the HLCA in the steel sector.
Rungta Mines has proposed to invest Rs 9,000 crore in the expansion of its integrated steel plant, with potential employment of 12,000, while Shakambhari Ispat and Power will invest Rs 5,000 crore in an integrated steel, cement and captive power complex, with potential employment of 5,000.
Another emerging area that received significant investment was lab-grown diamond manufacturing. Five projects involving a combined Rs 10,680 crore have been approved. These included investments by Dholakia Lab Grown Diamond, Greenlab Diamonds, Neorganic Diamonds, Nouveau Diamonds and Supreme Green Diamonds. Together, the projects have the potential to generate 8,850 jobs.
In the advanced manufacturing sector, SICSEM Pvt Ltd’s proposal to establish a facility for manufacturing silicon carbide wafers and gallium nitride in Khordha with an investment of Rs 2,078 crore has been approved. Aare Solar will also set up a 10 GWh advanced LFP battery energy storage system assembly plant in Nuapada with an investment of Rs 1,050 crore, while Larsen and Toubro will establish a Rs 5,000-crore green energy equipment manufacturing unit in Ganjam.
Jiribam Solar Power will invest Rs 3,000 crore in a facility in Kendrapada to produce green hydrogen, green ammonia, green methanol and electro-sustainable aviation fuel. The project has the potential to generate employment for 1,000 people.
L&T has also secured approval for an integrated advanced fabrication and manufacturing complex involving Rs 2,100 crore and a shipbuilding and ship-repair complex involving another Rs 1,000 crore, both in Ganjam. The two projects are expected to generate 1,700 jobs.
In healthcare infrastructure, Adani Foundation has proposed to establish a 1,000-bed multi-super-speciality hospital in Khordha with an investment of Rs 2,150 crore and potential employment of 1,700.
Tata Steel will invest Rs 3,329 crore in a 7 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) iron ore grinding unit with a slurry pipeline in Jajpur, strengthening the mineral-to-metal logistics chain serving the Kalinganagar industrial region.
Among others, Grasim Industries will invest Rs 1,425 crore in a basic chemical products manufacturing plant in Ganjam, Talcher Gasifier and Chemicals has proposed to invest Rs 1,750 crore in a chemical manufacturing unit in Dhenkanal, Leaomax Textile will invest Rs 1,200 crore in a composite textile mill in Kalahandi, and Chiripal Poly Films will set up an OHT tyre manufacturing unit in Bhadrak with an investment of Rs 1,125 crore.
The 27 projects are spread across Angul, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Debagarh, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Kendrapara, Khordha, Koraput, Nuapada, Puri, Rayagada and Sundargarh.
