Odisha, AAI Sign Pact To Develop Jharsuguda Airport

17 Nov 2025 CW Team

The Odisha government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to develop a full-fledged airport at Jharsuguda, a project estimated to cost Rs 2.1 billion.

At present, the Jharsuguda airstrip handles only a limited number of chartered flights. Once upgraded, the facility is expected to transform regional air connectivity across western Odisha. Under the agreement, the state government will contribute Rs 750 million towards the project and provide 296.5 acres of land — including 118.7 acres immediately — free of cost. AAI has committed to completing construction within two years.

The new airport is set to ease pressure on Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport and support rising air travel demand in the region.

Infrastructure Energy

17 Nov 2025

NTPC Plans Coal Gas Push And Expands Nuclear Pipeline

State-owned power producer NTPC Ltd is preparing to enter the coal gasification segment, targeting annual output of at least 5–10 million tonnes within the next three to four years, according to a senior company official. The cost of producing synthetic gas is projected at roughly USD 10–12 per million British thermal units. NTPC expects the pricing of its gas to remain competitive with the delivered cost of liquefied natural gas and anticipates no difficulty in securing buyers. The output will either be supplied to the domestic market or used in the company’s own facilities, with NTPC ..

SECL Launches Coal India’s First Paste Filling Project

South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has marked a major step towards safer and more sustainable underground mining with the groundbreaking of Coal India’s first Paste Filling Technology project at the Singhali Underground Mine in the DSB Sub-Area of the Korba Area. The initiative, guided by SECL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Shri Harish Duhan, represents a pioneering move towards environmentally responsible underground mining. The Bhoomi Pujan (groundbreaking ceremony) was carried out with enthusiasm in the presence of senior SECL officials and employees. Shri Ramesh Chandra Mohapatra,..

Odisha Plans New Rail Corridors To Boost Logistics

Odisha is strengthening its logistics network as part of its port-led industrialisation strategy and is considering new railway corridors under the public–private partnership model to drive economic growth across the hinterland. Official sources said a new rail corridor has been proposed for the Talcher coalfields at an estimated cost of Rs 48.82 billion, along with the Gopalpur–Rayagada–Jeypore economic corridor, which will include both road and rail connectivity. Additional port-linked rail corridors are also being planned in various regions. A recent high-level meeting chaired by Ch..