Aditya Birla Group is looking forward to invest Rs 75,000 crore in Orissa for its projects, including the alumina refinery project at Kashipur in Rayagada district. After meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar on thurday, Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said that they are committed to more investment in Orissa which is an important investment destination for Birla Group. The leading industrialist said the group’s interest in the state lay in the aluminium,telecom services, port and retail sectors. However he did not specify any timeframe for the proposed investment but disclosed that the group would make a foray in Orissa’s retail arena within six months.
Official sources, though said the group has proposed to set up a 3.5 million tonne cement facility in Sundergarh district, and expand the capacity of its smelter unit from 0.26 to 0.5 million tonne and that of its aluminium refinery from one to 1.5 million tonne. The company would invest at least Rs 75,000 crore in these projects, Birla said, but did not mention by when these investments would be made. Further Birla said that the Chief Minister has been informed of the problems the company is facing and he has assured us of looking into it. The alluminium refinery project at Kashipur had faced stiff opposition from locals who had been displaced and they had sought a fresh rehabilitation package. But Birla said they have already been compensated. Birla added he cannot commit on a new package