In a landmark moment for Odisha’s industrial growth, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for JSW Steel’s massive integrated steel plant at Erasama near Paradip.
The ₹1,25,000 crore project marks one of the largest single investments in the state’s history and is set to reshape Paradip’s landscape while propelling Odisha toward becoming the country’s ‘Steel Capital’.
The plant, being developed in two phases, will have an annual capacity of 24 million tonnes of steel. It will also include a 12-million-tonne cement plant, a 900-MW captive power plant, and a dedicated jetty.
JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal and senior officials from Japanese partner JFE Steel attended the ceremony, where the Chief Minister assured all possible government support to ensure smooth and timely execution.
Addressing the gathering, CM Majhi highlighted the accelerated pace under the ‘Double Engine Government’. “A project that saw only a token foundation stone two years ago is now moving at full speed. Production will begin by 2028,” he declared, giving a firm timeline guarantee. He contrasted this with the previous government’s slow progress and cited the rapid success of the Khordha Trimeta Garments unit, which began production within a year of its foundation stone.
The Chief Minister also announced that an Odisha-Japan ‘Sister States’ agreement with Tottori Prefecture will be signed shortly. This pact, alongside JFE Steel’s involvement in a ₹30,000 crore project in Jharsuguda, is expected to bring massive Japanese investment in industry, tourism, and education. He added that new steel plants are also planned for Dhenkanal and Keonjhar.
Two Years of Impressive Progress
In just two years, the state government has approved 433 industrial projects worth over ₹8.5 lakh crore, creating more than 5 lakh direct and indirect jobs. As many as 148 projects have already seen ground-breaking, generating employment for over 2.37 lakh youth. Majhi credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and the ‘Yahi Samay Hai, Sahi Samay Hai’ campaign for attracting investors.
Paradip’s Transformation
The government is following a ‘Two-Coast Strategy’ inspired by Gujarat’s Mundra Port model. Paradip, along with Dhamra and Gopalpur ports, will play a key role in the ‘Poorvoday’ initiative. Plans include a cruise terminal, mega shipbuilding complex, and the Paradip-Cuttack-Bhubaneswar-Puri Economic Corridor (BCPPER) with ₹5,000 crore central assistance. Over 1 lakh new jobs are expected in the Paradip region alone in the coming years.
Industry Minister Sampad Chandra Swain termed the occasion historic for Jagatsinghpur district and emphasised local youth employment and long-pending aspirations finally turning into reality.
Prominent attendees included Jagatsinghpur MP Dr. Bibhu Prasad Tara, local MLAs Sarada Prasanna Jena and Amarendra Das, JSW Steel CEO Jayant Acharya, and senior government officials.
