BHUBANESWAR: The Aditya Birla Group has proposed an additional investment of Rs 12,000 crore to expand the capacity of its greenfield alumina refinery at Kansariguda in Kashipur block of Rayagada district, tripling the plant’s capacity from 1 million tonne per annum (MTPA) to 3 MTPA.
Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla discussed the proposal with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan on Saturday.
The refinery being developed by Hindalco Industries Limited, a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Group, was originally planned as a 1 MTPA facility with investment of about Rs 8,000 crore. The proposed expansion would add 2 MTPA of refining capacity through a fresh investment of Rs 12,000 crore, taking the total investment to Rs 20,000 crore.
The expansion will generate significant direct and indirect employment while creating business opportunities for local enterprises, contractors and downstream industries linked to the aluminium value chain.
Welcoming the proposal, Majhi said Odisha intends to leverage its rich mineral resources to promote higher value-addition and advanced manufacturing in the state. He described aluminium as a key pillar of the state’s industrial strategy, with the government aiming to develop an integrated ecosystem spanning alumina refining, primary aluminium production and downstream manufacturing.
“We intend not only to lead the country in alumina and aluminium production but also build a globally competitive ecosystem across the entire value chain, from refining and primary metals to downstream and advanced products,” Majhi said.
The chief minister assured Aditya Birla Group of continued government support for timely execution of the project, including facilitation of land, infrastructure, utilities and statutory clearances through a coordinated mechanism.
Odisha aims to be the leading metal hub: CM
“The expansion of the Kansariguda refinery will further strengthen this momentum and reinforce Odisha’s position as India’s leading metals and metallurgy hub,” Majhi said. The meeting also reviewed the group’s existing and proposed investments across aluminium, alumina, chemicals, cement, renewable energy, textiles and apparel.
They also explored potential investments in new sectors, including copper refining, copper-clad laminates and printed circuit boards, technical textiles, paints, jewellery manufacturing and advanced aluminium products to broaden the company’s footprint in Odisha.