Vedanta pushes to restart Niyamgiri bauxite mining, pledges ₹1 lakh crore investment in Odisha

Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal told Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi that the company wants the Niyamgiri bauxite mines opened without delay. He said the move should create jobs for the local tribal community and bring them into the development process. The hills are believed to contain roughly seventy to ninety million tonnes of bauxite, the raw material needed for alumina and aluminium production. Agarwal added that all required clearances have been promised and mining could begin immediately, employing thousands. This request comes thirteen years after the 2013 Gram Sabha votes, where the Dongria Kondh tribe rejected any mining in the area following a Supreme Court order that let them decide under the Forest Rights Act. Those votes are described as India’s first environmental referendum. Vedanta already runs an alumina refinery at the base of Niyamgiri, but it currently relies on imported bauxite. The company has also secured rights for the Sijimali mine in Rayagada and the Karlapat mine in Kalahandi. In the same meeting, Agarwal announced a plan to pour ₹1 lakh crore into new aluminium smelters, refineries and power plants across Odisha. Projects include alumina refineries at Dhenkanal and Rayagada, which could be finished in about three years if the state continues its support. He highlighted that aluminium is used in aviation, rail, automotive and public transport, and that 150‑200 different products could be made locally, with investment sizes ranging from ₹5 crore to ₹500 crore. Vedanta also intends to set up a large hospital in Kalahandi and points to existing rail, road and air‑strip infrastructure that can boost direct and indirect employment.