Aditya Birla group invested Rs 25 k crore in state so far

The group's investment basket in Odisha comprises traditional manufacturing sector like cement and aluminium and mining

Business conglomerate Aditya Birla (AB) Group has invested to the tune of Rs 25000 crore in the state across varied sectors, said a top company official.

"Close to Rs 25000 crore of investments are in various stages of executions within the state and some more are in the pipe line", said Rajiv Dube, Director, Group Corporate Services, AB Group.

Dube was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the national level exhibition "Odisha Moves Forward" organized on the occasion of golden jubilee celebration of Utkal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI), the apex body of industry association in the state.The AB Group's investment basket in Odisha comprises traditional manufacturing sector like cement and aluminium and mining.

This apart, it has presence in telecom services, retail and life style apparel in the state, he added.

Despite the short term challenges that the Indian economy faces, its growth prospect is bright, Dube pointed out.

He added, with the vast mineral resources and tourism potential combined with the diligent workforce, Odisha is destined to play a larger role in shaping the country's economic future.

Stating that AB Group remains committed to play its part in strong partnership with the state, he said, there is no reason why Odisha cannot be India's number one state in future.

Speaking on the occasion Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra, Chairman, Paradip Port Trust said, "The port has clocked business growth of 25 per cent in the current fiscal compared to minus 2.5 per cent last year. In terms of growth rate, the port now ranks second among major ports of India compared to its sixth position last year".

Paradip port has added 28.5 million tonne cargo capacity in one year taking its aggregate cargo handling capacity to 108.5 million tonne. "We are in the process of adding another 55 million tonne capacity in near future", he added.

Expressing his concern over the time wasted in clearance of the planned projects, he said, "We should start speaking about the holy cow of environmental issues which has become a bottle neck for industrial growth in the state, especially the requirement of a timeline to asses and clear the projects."

UCCI President Ramesh Mohapatra and Damodar Rout, minister for Health & Family Welfare and MSME department also spoke on the occasion.