Bhubaneswar, Oct 5 : Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindalco Industries for providing long term raw material linkage for its refinery project at Kansariguda in Rayagada district .
OMC Managing Director Balwant Singh and Hindalco Managing Director Satish Pai signed the MoU in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The agreement will facilitate and speed up the work for a two-million tonne alumina refinery project in Rayagada district.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the Alumina Refinery project of Aditya Aluminum Limited at Kansariguda is a green field project coming up with an investment of Rs 8,000 Crore.
The project will create 1,000 direct jobs, and 4,000 indirect employment opportunities. He thanked the Aditya Birla Group for believing in the potential of Odisha and partnering with the state in this journey.
Patnaik said Odisha is poised to become an Industrial Hub of the East, and this is not just our ambition but our mission.
He invited everyone to be a part of this journey and called upon all, to co-create a future where business and socio-economic growth go hand-in-hand, making Odisha a shining example for the world.
The Chief Minister appealed to the people of Rayagada to provide all support to the refinery project, so that work can start soon and make visible changes in the life of local people.
Patnaik said in June 2023, the state government came up with a new Long-Term Linkage Policy of Minerals for Industries, facilitated through OMC.
The policy was a commitment to foster an environment where industries can thrive, innovate, and contribute to the state’s socio-economic fabric.
Industries & MSME Minister Pratap Dev said partnership of people is essential for industries. Odisha is committed to the development of tribal people in mines rich area. Inclusivity is a must in industrialization, he emphasized.
Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said the Odisha-Hindalco partnership is a symbiotic success story that is an exemplar for holistic development.
The Utkal Alumina plant generated thousands of new jobs, and impacted lakhs of people in hundreds of villages through community development initiatives.
He said the second refinery project will follow the same development model, seeding more opportunities in livelihoods and cascading more socio-economic development. Birla thanked the people and Odisha government.
