Vedanta’s proposed ₹1 lakh crore investment in Odisha has received renewed state support, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi backing plans for a new alumina refinery in Rayagada, an aluminium smelter in Dhenkanal, an expanded smelter in Jharsuguda and a ferro-alloys park in Keonjhar.
The commitments followed a meeting between Majhi and Vedanta Resources chairman Anil Agarwal. The company has already invested ₹1 lakh crore in Odisha and is preparing to invest a matching amount in new projects, according to the report. Agarwal also accepted the chief minister’s proposal to establish a 1,000-bed hospital in the western region of the state.
Vedanta operates an alumina refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district and a smelter and power plant in Jharsuguda. The proposed projects include a 6-million-tonne-per-annum alumina refinery in Rayagada and a 3-million-tonne-per-annum aluminium smelter in Dhenkanal. The company has also proposed expanding its 1-million-tonne-per-annum aluminium smelter in Jharsuguda.
Majhi said in a statement that the proposed aluminium projects could generate more than two lakh direct and indirect jobs. He said the projects would help establish Odisha as a major aluminium production hub and that the state government would extend support to investments in the sector.
The meeting also addressed Vedanta’s bauxite requirements for the Lanjigarh refinery. The company currently obtains 60 per cent of its raw material from the state-owned Odisha Mining Corporation, while the remaining 40 per cent is sourced from Africa, according to sources cited in the report. After discussions, the chief minister assured Vedanta of local bauxite supply for the refinery.
The assurance comes as the company faces resistance from residents over proposed bauxite mining at Sijimali in Rayagada district. Agarwal said opposition was a natural part of large projects and claimed that there was currently no resistance. The report did not provide details of the state government’s proposed supply arrangement or the status of permissions for the mining activity.
The discussions also covered Vedanta’s proposed ₹2,000 crore ferro-alloys park in Keonjhar and the downstream potential of aluminium. Agarwal said more than 150 products could be manufactured using the metal, creating opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises.
Agarwal said the proposed investments were intended to create an industrial ecosystem supporting infrastructure, energy transition, advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies. He also said Vedanta aimed to generate large-scale employment and strengthen local enterprises in partnership with the state government.
Once the projects are implemented, Vedanta’s total aluminium production capacity is expected to reach 6 million tonnes per annum, according to Majhi’s statement. The report did not specify construction schedules, investment approvals, land requirements or commissioning dates for the proposed facilities.
