Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi convened a high-level strategic meeting on Saturday with Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla to review the progress of the conglomerate’s ongoing and upcoming investments across the state.
The dialogue centred on evaluating the current status of key projects and finding ways to accelerate their execution with prompt administrative support and policy assistance.
Discussions also focused on avenues for the Aditya Birla Group to establish a stronger foothold in sectors where its presence in the state remains limited.
A major outcome of the talks was the Group’s proposal to scale up its greenfield alumina refinery project located at Kansariguda in the Kashipur Tehsil of Rayagada district.
Spearheaded by Hindalco Industries Limited, the refinery was initially envisaged with a capacity of 1 million tonnes per annum, backed by an initial investment of around Rs 8,000 crore.
Recognizing the long-term potential of the venture alongside the proactive cooperation of the state government, the conglomerate has pitched an additional investment of approximately Rs 12,000 crore to boost the refinery’s capacity by an extra 2 million tonnes per annum.
Following this proposed expansion, the total output capacity at the Kansariguda refinery will increase to 3 million tonnes per annum, bringing the cumulative investment to nearly Rs 20,000 crore.
The project is anticipated to create substantial direct and indirect job opportunities while fostering growth for local businesses, service providers, and downstream industrial units.
Welcoming the proposal, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said in a statement, “Odisha’s mineral strength must translate into greater value addition, advanced manufacturing and quality employment within the State. Aluminium is central to this vision. We intend not only to lead the country in alumina and aluminium production but also to build a globally competitive ecosystem across the entire value chain, from refining and primary metals to downstream and advanced products. The expansion of the Kansariguda refinery will further strengthen this momentum and reinforce Odisha’s position as India’s leading metals and metallurgy hub.”
The Chief Minister assured the industrial group continued cooperation from the state government to ensure their projects and subsequent expansions stay on schedule. He highlighted that the government will maintain close collaboration with the company to streamline land acquisition, infrastructure setup, utility access, regulatory approvals, and other project requirements through a coordinated approach.
The meeting also reviewed the Group’s broader investment portfolio in Odisha, which spans aluminium, alumina, chemical manufacturing, cement production, green energy solutions, as well as textiles and garments.
