The Odisha government has given its nod to 15 new industrial projects with a total investment of Rs 3,353 crore, which is expected to generate 4,637 employment opportunities in all. The approvals came during a meeting of the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA), chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja.

These projects cover sectors, including chemical/renewable energy, steel, aluminium,  and others, and will be implemented across several districts, such as Koraput, Khurda, Baragarh, Puri, Cuttack, and Jharsuguda. In the chemical/renewable energy sector, Reliance Bio Energy will set up a compressed bio-gas and organic manure plant in Puri with an investment of Rs 121.21 crore. In the steel sector, Beekay Steel Industries plans to invest Rs 750 crore in Cuttack, expanding its operations with sponge iron, billets, which is expected to generate 800 work opportunities.

HM Power and Cables will set up an aluminium conductor, power cable, and wire manufacturing plant in Jharsuguda. This Rs 55.72 crore investment will create 205 employment positions. In addition, Nexthermal Asia will set up a heating elements manufacturing unit in Khurda, supported by an investment of Rs 55.81 crore, which will create employment for 132 persons. In the food processing sector, several projects from companies such as Bhuvaneshwari Foods and Beverages, Aban Beverages, and Geofast Consumer Products located in Khurda, Baragarh, and Cuttack, will have a combined investment of Rs 1,542.04 crore and are expected to create over 1,358 employment opportunities.

In the Textile & Apparel sector, Odisha Textile Manufacturing is setting up a facility in Khurda to manufacture recycled yarns from textile waste. This initiative, valued at Rs 51.80 crore. In tourism, ITC will expand its five-star hotel 'Welcomhotels' in Bhubaneswar with a Rs 119.14 crore investment, providing an additional 240 jobs. Additional tourism-related projects by SJ JRG Ventures and Crackers India Infrastructures (LYFE Group of Hotels) will bring new hospitality facilities to Puri and Koraput, totaling Rs 154 crore in investment and creating 380 work avenues. In pharmaceuticals, Infunex Healthcare will establish a second unit to make intravenous fluids in Cuttack, with an investment of Rs 59.43 crore, creating 182 additional employment, while Ultra Tech Cement will expand its cement grinding unit in Cuttack, increasing its capacity from three MTPA to six MTPA. This Rs 372 crore expansion will create 581 employment and contribute to the state's infrastructure development.