Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal announced on Thursday that work on the proposed 3 million tonne per annum aluminium smelter in Dhenkanal district will begin within the next three to four months, provided that the required land and statutory clearances are received in time. Following his meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan, Agarwal said the company plans to invest Rs 1 trillion (Rs 1 lakh crore) in the project, which is expected to generate employment for around 40,000 people. “This will be one of the largest smelters in the world. If things proceed as planned, we aim to complete the Dhenkanal project within three to three-and-a-half years,” Agarwal said. According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Vedanta has also agreed to establish a ferro-alloys plant in Keonjhar district with an investment of Rs 20 billion (Rs 2,000 crore). The facility is expected to enhance Odisha’s role in the global metal value chain, the CMO stated. Vedanta will additionally set up two new aluminium parks — one near its existing plant in Jharsuguda, and another at a site to be identified by the state government. These advanced facilities will produce high-grade aluminium alloys for use in aerospace, electric vehicles, and defence, driving large-scale downstream investments and boosting MSME growth across Odisha. Chief Minister Majhi praised Vedanta’s commitment, noting that the investments would accelerate economic growth, create vast job opportunities, and help Odisha move towards becoming a USD 500 billion economy by 2036. “This massive investment will be a game-changer for Odisha’s bright future,” Majhi said. Vedanta had earlier proposed setting up a 6 million tonne alumina refinery in Rayagada district, to be supplied by the Sijimali bauxite mine. On pending environmental and forest clearances, Agarwal said the Chief Minister had assured full support for conducting a public hearing soon. The central government had temporarily halted forest land diversion for the mine due to concerns over tribal rights and local objections. Addressing the long-delayed Vedanta University project, Agarwal reiterated his commitment to establishing it in Odisha. “Many states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh are interested, but my heart is in Odisha. We want to build a university of international standards here. Any site other than Puri is acceptable,” he said. Agarwal praised the Chief Minister’s vision, describing him as “progressive and forward-thinking,” and reaffirmed Vedanta’s confidence in Odisha’s investment climate.