Odisha Approves JSW's ₹40,000 Crore Proposal for Establishing Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Units

The Odisha government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, gave the green light to 14 proposals, with notable approval for the JSW Group's ambitious plan to establish electric vehicle (EV) and component manufacturing units in Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts. The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Patnaik sanctioned a special incentive package for the JSW Group's EV projects at Naraj in Cuttack and Paradip in Jagatsinghpur, involving an investment of Rs 40,000 crore.

Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena shared that these projects, with a cumulative investment exceeding Rs 40,000 crore, are anticipated to generate employment for over 11,000 individuals. The JSW Group's proposal includes an EV and EV battery manufacturing project at Naraj, Cuttack, with plans to set up an original equipment manufacturing (OEM) plant for EVs and components in two phases. This initiative is expected to attract an investment of Rs. 25,000 crore and provide employment for more than 4,000 people.

Furthermore, JSW aims to establish an EV components manufacturing complex, including a copper smelter and lithium smelter, at Paradip in the third phase of its engagement in the new-age sector. This phase involves an investment of Rs. 15,000 crore and is anticipated to generate employment for more than 7,000 people.

In addition to the JSW proposal, the state cabinet approved the 'Coffee Plantation for Sustainable Livelihoods (CPSL)' scheme, designed to promote coffee plantation in six districts of Odisha with a total outlay of Rs. 1,144 crore. The scheme aims to expand the existing state coffee area from 10,000 acres to 1 lakh acres over ten years, benefiting more than 50,000 farm families.

The cabinet also addressed various other matters, including reducing the conversion fee for leasehold land conversion, providing a minimum pension for 782 Ex-VLWs (village-level workers), approving additional budgetary expenditure for pension-related matters, endorsing the Odisha Procurement Preference Policy for Micro and Small Manufacturing Enterprises 2023, approving a tender for the construction of a working women's hostel, extending fair price shop licenses, and endorsing the Odisha Biotechnology Policy 2024.

These decisions underscore Odisha's commitment to fostering industrial growth, job creation, and sustainable development across various sectors, including electric vehicles, agriculture, and biotechnology.

BS