SAMBALPUR: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday unveiled three major projects of Hindalco Industries Ltd worth about ₹ 25,500 crore in Lapanga area of Sambalpur district.
The chief minister laid foundation stone for a ₹21,000-crore expansion of Hindalco’s aluminium smelter with an additional capacity of 3.6 lakh tonnes per annum while inaugurating commissioning of a 1.7 lakh tonnes per annum flat rolled products (FRP) and battery-grade aluminium foil manufacturing facility developed at an investment of ₹4,500 crore.
On the occasion, Managing Director of Hindalco Satish Pai announced fresh investments of ₹50,000 crore in the state.
Addressing a massive gathering, Majhi described the day as historic for Sambalpur district and the Lapanga region, stating that the area plays a vital role in Odisha’s economic growth.
Industrialisation, he said, would accelerate only when income levels improve, infrastructure is strengthened and local youth are upskilled and made industry-ready.
Referring to the newly inaugurated battery foil manufacturing unit, he said it would strengthen India’s self-reliance in battery manufacturing and support the rapid growth of the electric vehicle ecosystem.
He urged Hindalco to prioritise employment of local, industry-ready youth, assuring full government support for future expansion plans, and reiterated the government’s commitment to transparency in CSR implementation.
Majhi highlighted the Aditya Birla Group’s contribution to the country’s economic development and recalled the role of GD Birla in establishing industries during the freedom struggle. He said industrial proposals worth nearly ₹20 lakh crore are currently under consideration in Odisha and, if materialised, could generate employment for over 15 lakh youth.
He assured that Sambalpur would soon host the state’s second World Skill Centre after Bhubaneswar which would ensure that industry-ready youth are not denied employment opportunities.
Speaking on the occasion, the Hindalco MD said Odisha has become central to the company’s growth journey. Announcing fresh investments of ₹50,000 crore, he said the expansion, including greenfield and brownfield alumina projects and smelting capacity additions, would generate around 15,000 new jobs.
“We are thankful to the Odisha government for its support and partnership. Hindalco has already invested over ₹40,000 crore in the state, creating employment for more than 28,000 people,” he said.
Emphasising sustainability, Pai said Hindalco would add 300 MW of renewable energy capacity in the coming days to reduce carbon emissions by nearly 30 per cent, adding that the company supplies aluminium to global majors including Boeing and Mitsubishi. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari; Minister for Skill Development and Technical Education Sampad Chandra Swain, Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayan Mishra, Rengali MLA Sudarshan Haripal, former Rengali MLA, Nauri Naik and additional chief secretary, Industries department Hemant Sharma were present.