Tata Steel’s ₹63,000 Cr Kalinganagar Plant Phase II to Open May 22

Bhubaneswar: In a major industrial development for Odisha, Tata Steel’s Phase II unit at Kalinganagar in Jajpur district will be inaugurated on May 22. The mega expansion project, built with an investment of ₹63,000 crore, is expected to generate large-scale employment and boost the state’s industrial landscape.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is scheduled to inaugurate the project during a high-profile event in Jajpur, Industries Minister Sampad Swain announced today.

Tata Steel’s Kalinganagar facility, originally commissioned in 2016, quickly ramped up production to its rated capacity of 3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) within two years. With this new phase, the plant is poised to significantly increase its output and impact.

The expansion also includes Tata Steel’s Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL) unit, which is an integrated steel plant producing long products via the blast furnace route. The company is pursuing simultaneous expansions at its Neelachal, Kalinganagar, and Bhushan Steel plants, as previously confirmed by Tata Steel Global CEO and MD T.V. Narendran at the Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha Conclave 2025 held in Bhubaneswar.

Tata Group has invested nearly ₹1 lakh crore in Odisha’s steel sector over the past decade. The Kalinganagar plant now boasts an 8 MTPA capacity, with the company also acquiring Bhushan Steel and Neelachal Ispat Nigam in recent years.

Minister Swain further informed that the Chief Minister will lay the foundation stone for 12 new industrial projects and inaugurate four others in Jajpur on May 22. Combined, these projects are valued at ₹1.14 lakh crore and are projected to create around 34,000 employment opportunities.

He also revealed that major industrial players such as JSW and Vedanta have expressed strong interest in setting up units in Odisha. JSW is currently in the process of establishing a new plant in Jagatsinghpur district, replacing the earlier POCSO project.

Addressing concerns about inactive land use, the Minister issued a stern warning to companies that have been allotted land but failed to begin operations. “We are giving them a second opportunity. If they still don’t begin their projects, the government will reclaim the land,” Swain stated. He confirmed that the Industries Department, in coordination with the Revenue Department, has prepared a list tracking the progress of these land-allotted projects.

The state’s assertive push for industrialization, coupled with strategic investments from corporate giants like Tata Steel, is set to redefine Odisha’s position on India’s industrial map.