The Odisha government on Wednesday evening approved its largest-ever investment pipeline in a single clearance exercise, with the High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) clearing 27 projects involving a cumulative investment of ₹2,47,115.70 crore across 15 districts. According to reports from PTI, the HLCA meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, cleared 27 mega projects covering a wide range of sectors, including artificial intelligence-led data centres, semiconductors, green energy, power, steel, healthcare, chemicals, textiles, shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing. The projects have the potential to generate 50,162 jobs and mark a significant diversification of the state's industrial landscape. As per PTI, the CM emphasized that the geographical spread, together with the diversity of sectors, reflects the state government's focus on expanding investment opportunities beyond conventional industrial clusters, and promoting balanced regional industrial development.
Four projects in IT, IT-enabled services and data centres account for about ₹1,42,941 crore, or more than half of the total investment approved by the authority. As reported by PTI, among the major projects, High Density Data Centre Ltd has proposed to invest ₹1,04,550 crore in an integrated data centre park in Khordha, with the potential to create 1,000 jobs. HCL Technologies will set up an AI-optimised data centre in Khordha with an investment of ₹14,257 crore and employment potential of 385, while Sentraforge AI Ltd will invest ₹22,634 crore in an AI data centre and global capability centre in Puri, potentially generating 2,320 jobs. RKD Construction will set up a data centre in Cuttack with an investment of ₹1,500 crore. An official noted that a defining feature of the HLCA approval is the unprecedented scale of investment proposed in IT, ITES and data centres, making it the largest investment segment among the approved projects. The Adani Group's ₹1.04 trillion data centre project represents the second-biggest investment proposed by an Indian conglomerate in the country's data-centre sector, following Reliance Industries' proposed AI data centre and cable landing station with an estimated investment of ₹1.08 trillion in Andhra Pradesh.
Power and energy formed the second major pillar of the record investment round, with four projects involving ₹54,287.70 crore and potential employment generation of 5,300 jobs. According to PTI, NLC India Ltd will establish a 3,200 MW thermal power plant in Debagada with an investment of ₹34,763.51 crore and another 1,080 MW thermal power plant in Anugola district with an investment of ₹11,604.19 crore. The approvals also included two pumped-storage hydro projects — a 600 MW project by BEKEM Infra Projects in Rayagada involving ₹4,020 crore and a 750 MW project by Sri Avantika Contractor (I) Ltd in Koraput involving ₹3,900 crore. These projects will strengthen Odisha's power and renewable energy infrastructure and contribute to the State's long-term energy security and industrial growth.
The steel sector continued to be an important component of Odisha's industrial base, with two projects in Sundaragada involving ₹14,000 crore and potential employment generation of 17,000 jobs. As reported by PTI, Rungta Mines has proposed to invest ₹9,000 crore in the expansion of its integrated steel plant, with potential employment of 12,000, while Shakambhari Ispat and Power will invest ₹5,000 crore in an integrated steel, cement and captive power complex, with potential employment of 5,000. In advanced manufacturing, SICSEM Pvt Ltd's proposal to establish a facility for manufacturing silicon carbide wafers and gallium nitride in Khordha with an investment of ₹2,078 crore has been approved, while Aare Solar will set up a 10 GWh advanced LFP battery energy storage system assembly plant in Nuapada with an investment of ₹1,050 crore. Larsen and Toubro Limited will establish a green energy equipment manufacturing unit in Ganjam with an investment of ₹5,000 crore and potential employment generation of 700.
The 46th HLCA approvals further strengthened Odisha's growing presence in advanced technologies, with lab-grown diamond manufacturing receiving significant investment through five projects involving a combined ₹10,680 crore and potential employment generation of 8,850 jobs. According to PTI, Dholakia Lab Grown Diamond will establish a manufacturing unit in Khordha with an investment of ₹4,500 crore and potential employment generation of 3,750, while Greenlab Diamonds will invest ₹2,500 crore in Khordha with potential employment generation of 3,000. Jiribam Solar Power Private Limited will establish a facility in Kendrapada for manufacturing green hydrogen, green ammonia, green methanol and electro sustainable aviation fuel with an investment of ₹3,000 crore and potential to generate 1,000 employment opportunities. Larsen and Toubro Limited will establish an integrated advanced fabrication & manufacturing complex in Ganjam involving an investment of ₹2,100 crore and potential employment generation of 1,000. Additionally, the Adani Foundation has proposed to set up a 1,000-bed multi-speciality hospital in Khurda with an investment of ₹2,150 crore.
