Bhubaneswar, Sep 25: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organised the CII Odisha Metals & Mining Conclave 2026 with the theme “Metals & Mining: Building Blocks for Viksit Odisha” at Bhubaneswar. The two-day conclave, being held on 25–26 September 2026, bought 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, sustainable and green mining, digital transformation, ESG, circular economy, logistics, innovation, startups, critical minerals and skill development.
The inaugural session, “Metals & Mining: Building Blocks for Viksit Odisha,” set the context for transforming Odisha’s rich mineral resources and strong metals ecosystem into a globally competitive, resilient and sustainable sector.
Shri Sampad Chandra Swain, Minister, Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education, Government of Odisha, highlighted Odisha’s strong industrial ecosystem and the need to “make more in Odisha from what we mine in Odisha.” He cited 27 projects worth ₹2.47 lakh crore approved across 15 districts, with potential employment of over 50,000, including ₹14,000 crore in steel and downstream projects in Sundargarh. He also highlighted major aluminium investments and urged greater focus on value addition, recycling, cleaner operations, digitalisation and industry-academia collaboration.
Shri Hemant Sharma, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Home, I&PR and Industries, Government of Odisha, 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,” he said. He highlighted that around 20 new mines have opened in the last two to three years, with another 30 at various stages, creating opportunities in ancillary services, logistics and technology. Odisha’s installed steel capacity is expected to reach 150–180 million tonnes over the next five years.
Dr Andrew Fleming, British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, said the UK is ready to contribute expertise, technology, innovation and investment to India’s critical minerals value chain, including lithium, graphite, cobalt, nickel and copper. He called for long-term partnerships supporting decarbonisation and resilient supply chains.
Mr Anil Kumar Singh, Chairman, CII Odisha State Council and President, JSW Steel Limited, said Odisha’s 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.
A major highlight of the inaugural session was the unveiling of SAARTH – Sustainable Action Alliance for Resilient Tomorrow – Odisha Initiative, introduced by the CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development. The initiative was presented by Mr Shikhar Jain, Executive Director, CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development. The agenda places the SAARTH presentation immediately after the inaugural proceedings.
The inaugural session also featured special addresses by Mr Asit Tripathy,Mr Bibhu Mishra, Mr Rudra Rawal, MrShashibhusan Upadhyay, Mr Rajiv Kumarand Mr Alex Thomas.
The two-day conclave will feature a series of focused sessions on Leadership Talks on Future of Metals & Value Addition Ecosystem: Reinventing the Metals Value Chain, Sustainable & Green Mining Practices: Mining with Vision, Leading with Sustainability, Smart Mining, AI & Digital Transformation: Next-Gen Mining: AI, Automation & Analytics, ESG, Circular Economy & Decarbonisation: ESG-Led Transformation in Mining & Metals, Logistics & Supply Chain Integration in Mining & Metals: Future-Ready Logistics for Mining & Metals and Innovation, Startups & Industry 4.0 Solutions: Smart Innovation for Next-Gen Mining & Metals, addressing key opportunities and challenges across the metals and mining value chain.
The conclave will continue discussions on investment, technology, sustainability, downstream value addition, critical minerals, circular economy, logistics, innovation and skill development, with the broader objective of strengthening Odisha’s metals and mining ecosystem and contributing to the vision of Viksit Odisha@2036.