SRI SRI UNIVERSITY

Odisha, the land of Lord Jagannath, located on the eastern seaboard of the South-Asian country, India is regarded among the gifted places across the globe as it is abundantly blessed with mineral resources. It is enriched with several forms of minerals such as coal, iron, bauxite, nickel, manganese, dolomite, limestone, decorative stones, graphite, China clay, mineral sand, quartz, nickel ore and pyrophyllite.

Odisha hosts most of the significant mineral-based industries in India such as Alumina refinery & smelter of Nalco at Damanjodi & Angul, Rourkela Steel Plant, and Chrome Ore Mining Plants located at Theruvali, Bamnipal, Choudwar, Bhadrak, by IMFA, OMC, ICCL, and FACOR, respectively. IREL Mineral sand separation unit in Chhatarpur is a flagship plant for sand mining and mineral separation activities conducted in the state.

Several sponge-iron and cement plants are also set up across the state. The coal-based thermal power plants located in Banharpali, Talcher, and Kanihan are popular across the country. Some of the most important thermal power plants in the state have been set up by RSP, INDAL, NALCO, among others not only make Odisha a lucrative place for entrepreneurs and investors but they are also responsible to provide jobs to many people across the state.

Also 12 years ago, the State Directorate of Geology discovered diamond deposits in Dharambandha of Nuapada district which contributed another important mineral for mining in the state. Odisha has turned into a major hotspot in the country due to mineral industries, and entrepreneurs and investors from across the world have been crowding Odisha to attain greater profits. According to the reports by IBEF, in 2017-18, Odisha has single-handedly contributed 34.3% of mineral production in the entire country in terms of valuation.

Odisha witnessed an upsurge in Industrial growth due to the naturally gifted Geological setup which, in turn, provided the state with large reserves of minerals. The reason why Odisha is regarded as one of the important industrial hubs in the country is due to its geological factors such as:

• Located on the eastern edge of India’s peninsular, 72.5% of the area of Odisha is covered with a majority of Precambrian metamorphic rocks which dates back to the Proterozoic and Archaean age. Additionally, Godwanas hosts coal resources which are over 8% of the total landmass, and the rest of tertiary & quaternary formations occupy rest of the areas with nickeliferous/aluminium laterite alongside heavy minerals such as beach sand.

• Archean rocks located in the northern side of Odisha comprise metasedimentary rocks in Supracrustal belts such as base metals, gold, manganese, and iron. The supracrustal belts also represent granite, gneisses, migmatite alongside mafic/ultramafic intrusives. Further, the intrusives are analogous with titaniferous magnetite, PMG and chromite.

• On the other hand, Proterozoic rocks of Western Odisha have the formation of platformal sedimentary alongside limestone deposits. North-Western side of Odisha contains metamorphic deposits of limestone, Lead-Zinc, and manganese. Moreover, the southern and central Odisha comprise of charnockite, khondalite, anorthosite, alkaline rocks and migmatite which accounts for gemstones, graphite, manganese and bauxite.

• The significant coal resources of the entire state come from Mesozoic rocks which are widely spread out across the state. Eastern coastal plains of Odisha is blessed with Cenozoic age minerals such as ash beds, alluvial sediment and laterite in low quantity. Materials for building and beach sand can also be found in this area. The offshore region also hosts gas and oil due to formation of deltaic fans.

Odisha has a dynamic State Government which is led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of Biju Janata Dal. Shri Naveen Patnaik’s vision has made Odisha one of the most important industrial hubs in the country. More than 80 MoUs have been signed by the Chief Minister of Odisha with several companies throughout the past decade. The idea behind the MoUs was not only to make Odisha an Industrial Hub rather augment employment and at the same time enhance the economic standard of the public. This makes Odisha a paradise for investors!