Odisha Government Announces Ground Breaking Subsidy Scheme at Global Stainless-Steel Expo 2023

The Odisha Government has
unveiled an ambitious Special Subsidy Scheme to boost the stainless-steel
Industry within the state. This
momentous announcement was made during the inauguration of the Global
Stainless-Steel Expo 2023 (GSSE 2023) in Mumbai, further solidifying Odisha's
commitment to becoming the 'Stainless Steel destination' for the world.
The GSSE 2023 event, was
inaugurated today by esteemed dignitaries including Shri. Hemant Sharma,
Principal Secretary, Industries, Government of Odisha; Mr. Abhyuday Jindal,
Managing Director, Jindal Stainless Ltd.; Dr. Aruna Sharma, GSSE Steering
Committee Member and Former Secretary, Ministry of Steel; and Ms. Anitha
Raghunath, Director, Virgo Communications and Exhibitions.
In his inaugural address, Managing Director, Jindal Stainless, Mr
Abhyuday Jindal said, "It won’t be an exaggeration to say that stainless
steel is omnipresent, and even for a big event like the G20, stainless steel
adorned the roads. Be it the art installations in Lutyens Delhi or the security
barriers, stainless steel made its presence felt. It was a historic moment to
witness stainless steel reach the moon when the Chandrayaan-3 made a soft
landing on the lunar surface recently." He also touched upon the
industrial park in-the-making in Odisha by his company, and said it is the
first-ever stainless steel Industrial park in India with the vision to
strengthen the industry.
A special report on
stainless steel titled ‘India’s Amritkal’ by SteelMint was unveiled at the
event. According to the report, the stainless-steel industry struggled to
regain equilibrium due to the lingering impact of weakened global and domestic
demand. This demand contraction reverberated throughout global melt-shop
production, with the first quarter of CY23 witnessing a 5% year-on-year decline
to 13.66 million tonnes (mnt). China led this dip with 8.27 mnt. The report
also underlined that the Indian Stainless-Steel industry quickly recovered by
FY23, reaching about 3.5 mnt. Looking forward, SteelMint's forecasts are
intriguing, estimating demand to rise to 4.5 mnt by FY25.
Shri
Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary, Industries, Government of Odisha quoted
Odisha (Orissa), is making significant contributions to the
stainless-steel sector and the minerals sector. Being the largest producer of
iron ore and bauxite in India is indeed a noteworthy achievement.
Odisha's status as the
largest producer of iron ore and bauxite showcases its rich mineral resources.
This positions the state as a critical player in the raw materials supply chain
for various industries, including steel and aluminium.
He announced Jindal Stainless
steel Plant is a massive 1.2 MTPA stainless steel plant and proposed plant
expansion to 3.2 MTPA by Jindal Stainless Limited (JSL) in Odisha is a
game-changer. This investment represents a substantial commitment to the
stainless-steel sector in the state and will likely contribute to its growth
and prominence in the industry.
“The demand for stainless steel in India is
expected to grow at an average of 9 to 10 per cent per annum over the next few
financial years, doubling the growth rate of 4.5 per cent in the last five
financial years," said Ms. Anitha
Raghunath, Director of Virgo Communications and Exhibitions, the organizer
of the GSSE Expo.