CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurates extended refinery of Utkal Alumina

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: (Odisha News) Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik on Thursday inaugurated the expansion of the existing Alumina refinery of Utkal Alumina located at Kashipur in Rayagada district of Odisha. Situated at the tribal hinterland of Odisha, the expansion unit by the Aditya Birla group is built with an investment of Rs 1500 crores will improve the refinery's annual capacity by 0.5 MT to 2 MT alumina production.

For this new unit, more than 500 people are being employed through direct and contractual roles. Reportedly, Aditya Birla group employs more than 12,000 people in Odisha, which accounts for more than 10 percent of its global workforce.

Addressing the gathering, the Hon'ble Chief Minister said, "I am particularly happy that investors in Odisha are expanding their existing projects in Odisha even after the impact of COVID-19. This shows that our economy is bouncing back from the impacts of the pandemic and we are back on the path of sustained growth and development."

He further added, "Odisha's association with the Aditya Birla Group has been a fruitful and prosperous one. The Aditya Birla group has been a key player in the industrial growth story of Odisha with its presence spanning across sectors like metals, mining, cement, financial services, fashion and retail. The group has contributed significantly to healthcare, education, sustainable livelihood and other community engagement programs in Odisha as part of their CSR activities. Today's inauguration is a testament to the long-standing relationship between the Aditya Birla group and Odisha."

The dignitaries present in the virtual ceremony were Minister of Energy, Industries, MSME of Odisha Captain Dibya Shankar Mishra; Minister for ST &SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare of Odisha Jagannath Saraka; Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and Hindalco's Managing Director Satish Pai.

The active participation of Odisha based industries including the Aditya Birla Group in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities have been phenomenal. Odisha is an industry upcoming state. The number of companies investing in the state has been phenomenal last couple of years and such investments will transform the lives across the state.

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