Bhubaneswar: “Odisha has a strong industrial ecosystem, and we need to manufacture more from what we mine in the state,” said Industries Minister, Sampad Chandra Swain at the inaugural session of CII Odisha Metals & Mining Conclave 2026, here Friday. The two-day conclave organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will last till September 26 and brings together policymakers, industry leaders, technology experts and other stakeholders to deliberate on the future of Odisha’s metals and mining ecosystem.
The conclave focuses on strengthening Odisha’s position as a leading metals and mining hub through value addition, advanced manufacturing, sus tainable and green mining, digital transformation, ESG, circular economy, logistics, innovation, startups, critical minerals and skill development. Chief guest of the event, Swain highlighted major aluminium investments and urged greater focus on value addition, recycling, cleaner operations, digitalisation and industry-academia collaboration.
He cited 27 projects worth Rs 2.47 lakh crore were approved across 15 districts, with potential employment of over 50,000, including Rs 14,000 crore in steel and downstream projects in Sundaragada. CII Odisha State Council Chairman, Anil Kumar Singh, said, “Odisha has a rich history in minerals and mining. Its next phase of growth must go beyond extraction and focus on value addition, advanced manufacturing, beneficiation, recycling and circularity, supported by sustainable and technology-driven operations.” Reflecting on Odisha’s role in Mining, Additional Chief Secretary Hemant Sharma, said, “Odisha has evolved from a major mining hub into a leading metals centre. “We have moved not only from being the mining industry capital, but also being able to claim that we are the metals capital of India and South Asia.”
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