Odisha has remembered the contributions of Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, who passed away on Wednesday. Through his Kalinga Nagar steel plant in the state, Tata spearheaded an industrial revolution in the state.

Besides industrialisation, the Tata group joined hands with the Odisha government to help slum dwellers own houses through its Jaga Mission or Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission. His organisation signed an MoU with the Odisha government to set up a cancer hospital in Bhubaneswar, ensuring people had access to the best cancer treatment.

Former finance minister Prafulla Ghadai, who hails from Jajpur district, told The Telegraph: “Odisha was on the back foot after South Korean steel giant Posco faced protests against the land acquisition for its plant. There had been a kind of mistrust. Later, Psoco announced its withdrawal from Odisha. But Tata Group has made it clear that it's going to be Odisha's major industrial partner.”

Ghadai went on: "Tata, who also enjoyed a good rapport with former chief minister and late Biju Patnaik, father of Naveen Patnaik, had planned to set up its steel plant in Gopalpur in Ganjam. The then Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, had laid the foundation stone. However, because of local politics and agitation, the project could not take off. Later, Tata shifted its plant to Kalinga Nagar in Jajpur. Naveen provided the much-required support to Tata.”

Tata signed the MoU for the Kalinga Nagar steel project in 2004. Tata’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was established in Gopalpur in Ganjam district, and several industries have been set up there.

“Tata Steel has invested more than Rs one lakh crore in the state. It has also acquired the Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited in Kalinga Nagar and the Bhushan Steel plant at Meramundali in Dhenkanal district. The group offers reliable power distribution in Odisha. Tata established a TCS centre in Bhubaneswar, which has more than 6,000 employees, giving the impetus to the state's economic growth,” said a senior official of Tata Group, adding that the group also has Tanishq jewellery shops in the state.

Former chief minister Giridhar Gamang recalled how Tata Group stood solidly behind Odisha when it was devastated by Super Cyclone 1999, which killed more than 10,000 people in coastal parts of the state. “I was the chief minister when the super cyclone hit Odisha. Only a few major industrialists were there in India. I appealed for support from all, including chief ministers of all states. It was Ratan Tata’s group that came spontaneously to support Odisha. I can say India has lost an industrialist who was concerned for the poor,” Gamang told The Telegraph.

Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who shared a close bond with Ratan Tata, tweeted that he left an indelible legacy in the business landscape across the world which would inspire future generations.

On Naveen’s personal initiative, Tata Group joined hands with the Odisha government in 2018 to implement the Jaga Mission which aims to empower slum dwellers. In 2019, it won the World Habitat award.

Ratan Tata had then tweeted: "It makes me so happy that the government of Odisha was awarded with the World Habitat Award for Jaga Mission with the Tata Trusts and the Norman Foster Foundation for giving slum dwellers land rights and liveable habitat. We are only as stong as the communities we empower.”

Ratan Tata had flown in from Mumbai when the Tata Trusts had signed an MoU for setting up the cancer hospital in Bhubaneswar and a slum development project under the Jaga Mission in Ganjam.

Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi said he was saddened by the passing of Ratan.