Bhubaneswar: Odisha is emerging as a major industrial hub in the steel sector. The Centre has also acknowledged the eminent role of the state in the steel sector.

This status has assumed significant as the state has decided to snap ties with the CII for organising the second edition of the Make in Odisha conclave.

In a span of one week, Union steel minister Chaudhary Birender Singh is visiting the state for a second time to study the industrial growth in the state.

On June 12, Singh had visited Kalinga Nagar, the industrial hub of Odisha and reviewed the progress made by various companies including Tata Steel, Jindal Stainless Limited, Visa Steel and Mesco. He has admitted that Odisha had the potential to produce 100 million tonnes of steel.

On Saturday, Singh will visit Angul, another emerging industrial hub of the state, to dedicate Jindal Steel and Power's Blast furnace to the nation. With a size of 4,554cubic metre, it will be India's largest blast furnace. The minister will also dedicate India's most modern 3 MTPA basic oxygen furnace (BOF) and world first and largest direct reduced iron plant.

During his Kalinga Nagar visit, Singh said that it had the potential to develop downstream facilities that included ferro alloy plants, duct iron pipe, steel furniture, power component manufacturing as well as stainless steel.

"Odisha is a major steel producing state contributing more than half of the country's steel," he had said.

He had also met chief minister Naveen Patnaik and discussed on how to make Kalinga Nagar a steel hub.

A state government official said: "With Kalinga Nagar and Angul emerging as major industrial hub, we will be able to attract major investments to the state. We will be able to present how Odisha is providing a good ambience for industrial growth. We are working to make the second edition of the Make in Odisha Conclave a success."

Naveen demand

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday wrote to civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu requesting him to name Jhursuguda airport after eminent freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai.