The Hindu : Business : Aditya Birla Group to invest Rs. 75,000 crore in Orissa

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Aditya Birla Group to invest Rs. 75,000 crore in Orissa

Special Correspondent

— Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

HUGE COMMITMENT: Kumar Mangalam Birla (right) of Aditya Birla Group is coming out of the Secretariat in Bhubaneswar on Thursday after discussions with Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

BHUBANESWAR: Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla on Thursday said that different companies of the group would invest around Rs. 75,000 crore in Orissa in different sectors over the next few years.

Different sectors

Talking to presspersons after his meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat here, Mr. Birla said the sectors in which the companies of the group were in the process of making investments in the State include alumina, cement, telecom, and retail business.

“Orissa is an important destination for us and we would invest about Rs. 75,000-80,000 crore in the State during the next few years,” Mr. Birla said.

The retail business in the State would be started in the next six months, he said.

About the problems facing the implementation of an alumina refinery project of Utkal Alumina International in the State’s Rayagada district, Mr. Birla said the company had approached the administration to sort out the issues. While one section of the locals was still vehemently opposing the refinery project, the families already displaced were seeking a better deal.

The other project which came up for discussion during the meeting includes Hindalco Industries’ proposed world-class aluminium complex in Koraput and Sambalpur districts at a cost of Rs. 11,000 crore, and Grasim Industries’ proposed cement manufacturing unit in Sundargarh district.

According to sources in the Chief Minister’s Office, Mr. Birla’s meeting with the Chief Minister lasted for around 100 minutes.

Mr. Birla appraised Mr. Patnaik about the problems facing the ongoing projects and sought the government’s intervention to resolve the issues.

He also informed the Chief Minister about the group’s plans to enter the telecom and retail businesses in the State.

Top officials of the government and the group were present in the meeting.

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