Bhubaneswar, 11 July (H.S.): The Aditya Birla Group has proposed an additional investment of ₹12,000 crore to expand its greenfield alumina refinery at Kansariguda in Kashipur tehsil of Odisha's Rayagada district, taking the project's total investment to nearly ₹20,000 crore.
The proposal was discussed during a meeting between Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, on Saturday. The two reviewed the progress of the Group's ongoing and proposed investments across Odisha and discussed measures to facilitate their timely implementation.
The refinery, being developed by Hindalco Industries Ltd., was initially planned with a capacity of 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at an investment of around ₹8,000 crore. Under the expansion proposal, an additional 2 MTPA capacity will be added, increasing the refinery's total capacity to 3 MTPA.
The expansion is expected to generate significant direct and indirect employment while creating new opportunities for local businesses, service providers and downstream industries.
Welcoming the proposal, Chief Minister Majhi said Odisha's abundant mineral resources should translate into greater value addition, advanced manufacturing and quality employment within the state. He described aluminium as central to the government's industrial vision, stating that Odisha aims to build a globally competitive ecosystem spanning alumina refining, primary aluminium production and downstream manufacturing.
The Chief Minister assured the Aditya Birla Group of the state government's full support for the project's timely implementation, including facilitation of land, infrastructure, utilities, statutory clearances and other project requirements.
The meeting also reviewed the Group's existing and proposed investments in aluminium, alumina, chemicals, cement, renewable energy, textiles and apparel. Both sides discussed potential future investments in copper refining, copper-clad laminates, printed circuit boards, technical textiles, paints, jewellery manufacturing and advanced aluminium products.
The proposed expansion of the Kansariguda refinery is expected to further strengthen Odisha's position as a leading hub for metals, mineral processing and value-added manufacturing in the country.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
