Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Odisha government has approved 53 renewable energy projects worth over ₹13,400 crore and 16 major green industrial projects worth more than ₹2 lakh crore, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, also overseeing the State Energy’s Ministry, told The Hindu, emphasising that the Eastern India State is fast becoming “India’s green industrial hub”.
Responding to a question about the importance of renewable energy in catering to industrial requirements of the State, Mr. Deo held clean energy as a “prerequisite for global competitiveness”. “By powering steel, aluminium, and chemicals with green electricity and green hydrogen, Odisha aligns industrial growth with sustainability,” he said.
Apart from the industrial requirements, underlining the importance of renewable energy for rural Odisha, the Deputy Chief minister described it as means to ensure direct access to “affordable, reliable power”. “Solarising agriculture and moving toward 100% solar-powered feeders by 2047 will ease the burden on farmers and lower diesel dependence,” he observed.
The Odisha government aspires to institute 11 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and are “firmly on course to meet the target”. This is inclusive of 7.5 GW of solar energy, 2 GW wind energy, 1.2 GW pumped storage and 0.26 GW small hydro.
According to Mr. Deo, “Nearly 70% of the ₹3 lakh crore green-energy investment pipeline will come from private players.” Elaborating on the same, he stated the Odisha government has worked towards creating “India’s most investor-friendly ecosystems” consisting of single-window clearances, a dedicated land bank, upfront land-use conversion, and open access and transmission incentives, among others.
He adds, the State government’s focus in the realm spans solar, wind, biomass, small hydro and emerging green hydrogen. “Floating solar (solar panels installed on floating structures in water bodies) alone has 5,000 MW potential, and we are tying this to assured offtake through GRIDCO,” he observed. The Deputy Chief Minister added that wind corridors in Koraput, Ganjam and Balasore, new biogas plants and expanded hydro sites are other avenues anchoring investment directly in rural Odisha.
The State government is hosting a three-day Global Energy Leaders’ Summit 2025 in Puri starting Friday (December 5). It seeks to shape a “forward-looking agenda around sufficiency, balance, and innovation rather than treating this as a typical investor meet”. When asked if there could be agreements or memorandum of agreements to look forward to, he stated, “When industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers gather under one roof, collaborations naturally follow. So yes, if meaningful MoUs emerge, we will welcome them.”
Published – December 05, 2025 08:50 pm IST
