New Delhi, April 8
The Adani Group pledged three large-scale infrastructure projects in Odisha, focusing on digital infrastructure, energy security, and manufacturing. Karan Adani, Managing Director of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, detailed the initiatives at the ground breaking and inauguration ceremony of 36 industrial projects in Khordha. The expansion reflected a long-term commitment to the state's goal of becoming a USD 1.5 trillion economy by 2047.
Across these three projects, the total commitment to Odisha stands at Rs 33,081 crore, creating a total of 9,700 jobs, direct and indirect.
Speaking at the event, Adani noted that the foundation for growth existed in Odisha's mineral wealth, coastline, and young workforce. He emphasized that the current government acted as a partner in this development rather than a gatekeeper.
The first project involves a data center at Info Valley, Bhubaneswar with an investment of Rs 800 crore. This facility is aimed at providing the infrastructure required for AI, cloud computing, and digital governance. Adani stated that the project would create 200 high-end jobs, both directly and indirectly.
"This project... is not a building full of servers. It is going to be Odisha's claim on the digital economy, the infrastructure through which AI, cloud computing, and digital governance will flow for decades to come," he added.
The second initiative consists of a thermal power plant near Cuttack with an investment of Rs 30,181 crore. The facility is aimed at providing reliable power to prevent growth from stalling. It is designed to generate 7,000 jobs and bring stability to the regional power grid, benefiting households and small businesses alike.
"Growth without reliable power is growth that stalls. This plant will bring stability to the grid, security to industries, and predictability to millions of households and MSMEs whose future depends on consistent electricity," Adani stated.
The third project is focused on a cement manufacturing unit near Cuttack, involving a Rs 2,100-crore investment. Adani linked this project to the historical legacy of Kalingan builders, noting that the plant would employ 2,500 people. He described the facility as a means for the state to build its own hospitals, schools, and roads using its own resources.
"Today we do the same, but the material is cement. And the structures we are building are hospitals, schools, roads, and homes. This plant will... ensure that Odisha builds its own future with its own hand from its own earth," he noted.
Adani highlighted that the Group's stake in the state was structural rather than incidental. He thanked the Chief Minister for the clarity of his vision and the trust extended to the Group, promising that the ground broken today carried a commitment to the people of Odisha.
"The Vision 2036 and 2047 roadmap -- a USD 500 billion economy by 2036, USD 1.5 trillion by 2047 -- is ambitious. But ambition untethered from foundation is just aspiration. What makes Odisha's vision credible is that the foundation is here, the resources are here, the people are here, the governance reform is happening," Adani said.
- ANI
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