Odisha approves Emami Paper expansion, Ambuja Cements' project

Emami's Rs 650 cr investment is likely to create jobs for 1,750; Ambuja to set up 1.5 mn tonne unit

The Odisha government on Friday approved the expansion plan by Emami Paper Mills to expand its multi-layered coated board manufacturing plant at Balgopalpur in Balasore. Emami is investing Rs 650 crore on the expansion that is poised to create direct and indirect employment opportunities for 1,750 people.

Emami set up the paper manufacturing unit at Balgopalpur industrial estate in 1982 and has regularly expanded operations in the state by setting up facilities for newsprint manufacturing, paper board project based on waste paper and establishing 10.5 Mw co-generation plant.

The proposal for Emami Paper Mill's expansion was approved by the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA). Apart from Emami, the SLSWCA gave nod to set up a cement grinding unit of 1.5 million tonnes per annum by Ambuja Cements. The cement grinding plant is proposed to be set up on 125 acres land at Jharsuguda at an investment of Rs 430 crore. The project would add to Ambuja Cements existing portfolio of five integrated cement manufacturing plants and eight cement grinding units across the country. The Odisha project would generate jobs for around 300 people.

The third project that was okayed was a biscuit manufacturing unit by Surya Foods & Agro Ltd (SFAL). Known for its Priya Gold brand of biscuits, SFAL is a multi-product food processing company with manufacturing facilities in Greater Noida, Lucknow and Surat with a combined capacity of 180,000 tonnes per annum. The company's Odisha plant would have a capacity of 60,000 tonnes per annum envisaging an investment of Rs 108 crore.

Sanjeev Chopra, principal secretary (industries) said, "The state's business reforms programme and development of world class infrastructure has received extremely positive feedback from investors across the country as it has been successful in creating the ideal business ecosystem for various sectors to flourish in the state."

In the past three years, the SLSWCA has approved 102 projects with investments totaling to Rs 1.67 lakh crore with employment potential of 112,532.