Bhubaneswar: Leading aluminium manufacturing company Hindalco, a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Group, will set up a two MTPA alumina refinery plant in Odisha's Rayagada district.

In this regard, Odisha Mining Corporation today signed an MoU with Hindalco Industries for providing long-term raw material linkage for the alumina refinery project at Kansariguda in Rayagada district.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, OMC's MD Balwant Singh, and Hindalco's MD Satish Pai.

The agreement will facilitate and speed up the work for the two-million-tonne alumina refinery in Rayagada, a release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said today.

This is Hindalco's second refinery project in the Rayagada district. Its Utkal Alumina Industries Limited (UAIL), with a capacity of 1.5 MTPA, has already started production at Baphlimali.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, "Today marks a significant milestone in the journey of Odisha's industrial growth and development."

"Odisha is poised to become an industrial hub of the East, and this is not just our ambition but our mission," he said.

He invited everyone to be part of this exciting journey. He called upon all, "Let's co-create a future where business and socio-economic growth go hand in hand, making Odisha a shining example for the world."

The CM appealed to people of Rayagada district to provide all support to the refinery project.

"In June 2023, the Government of Odisha came up with a new Long-Term Linkage Policy of Minerals for Industries, facilitated through the Odisha Mining Corporation Limited. This policy was a commitment to foster an environment where industries can thrive, innovate, and contribute to the state's socio-economic fabric. This MoU exemplifies our unwavering dedication to making Odisha a magnet for industrial investments," he added.

He outlined that the Alumina Refinery 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. This is the transformative power of industry.

He thanked the Aditya Birla Group for believing in the potential of Odisha and partnering with the state in this journey.

Industries & MSME Minister Pratap Dev said that the partnership of the people is essential for industries. Under the vision of the CM, Odisha is committed to the development of tribal people in mines rich area. Inclusivity is a must in industrialization, he emphasized.

Joining the MoU signing ceremony on virtual platform, the Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla, said that Odisha is witnessing rapid industrialization under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Through several decades of development, Odisha has made remarkable progress in several fields. 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 further said that the second refinery plant will follow the same development model, seeding more opportunities in livelihoods and cascading more socio-economic development.

CM's Secretary (5T) VK Pandian, Industries Principal Secretary Hemant Sharma, Chief Secretary P.K. Jena, Development Commissioner Anu Garg and senior officers of the State Government and Hindalco were present at the event.

People of Kansariguda joined the programme through virtual platform.