TV
Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL), a Tata Steel subsidiary, is poised to become one of the largest employment generators in Odisha, with a promise of creating 14,000 direct jobs through its ambitious steel plant expansion. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi laid the foundation stone for this expansion project earlier this week.
Backed by a capital infusion of Rs 61,769 crore, the expansion project will significantly scale up NINL’s production capacity from its current 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 8.52 MTPA in the first phase.
Located in Kalinga Nagar in Jajpur district, the NINL plant will not only serve as a major employment hub but also as a centrepiece of Tata Steel's long products strategy, aligned with the company’s goal of reaching 40 MTPA capacity in the next decade.
The proposed upgrades aim to transform the once loss-making public sector entity into a state-of-the-art long products complex, catalysing economic and industrial growth in eastern India.
Revival Story: From Closure to Record Production
Once burdened by massive debts and shut down in 2020, NINL was acquired by Tata Steel with a 99.66% stake in 2022 for Rs 12,100 crore.
The acquisition marked a significant turnaround. Within nine months of operations restart, NINL achieved full rated production capacity. In FY2023–24, the plant recorded its highest-ever crude steel and pig iron output, nearing one million tonnes.
The company also completed crucial infrastructure commissioning, including the Coke Oven Battery, Coke Dry Cooling Plant, and Effluent Treatment Facilities, propelling it towards operational excellence.
Notably, in Q4 FY25 alone, NINL posted revenue of Rs 1,417 crore, up 25% year-on-year, and a quarterly EBITDA of Rs 313 crore, marking a fourfold increase.
The NINL initiative was part of a larger industrial rollout in Odisha, where CM Majhi laid the foundation for 24 projects worth Rs 1.15 lakh crore, expected to create over 36,000 jobs.
