Odisha Clears 11 PPP Projects Worth Rs 15,498 Crore, Signs Agreement for Gopalpur Desalination Plant

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has granted in-principle approval to 11 Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects with a combined estimated cost of around Rs 15,498 crore, as the state looks to expand private investment across key infrastructure sectors.

The approvals were given at the 66th meeting of the Empowered Committee on Infrastructure for PPP Projects, chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar on November 12.

The committee also approved five new projects with an estimated combined cost of Rs 831.68 crore and reviewed the progress of 28 ongoing PPP projects worth around Rs 28,764.28 crore.

A key development at the meeting was the signing of a tripartite agreement among the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the state’s PPP Cell for the proposed desalination project at Gopalpur. With an estimated cost of around Rs 1,000 crore, it will be the first project of its kind in the state to be developed under the PPP model.

Emphasising the need to build a pipeline of viable PPP projects across diverse sectors, Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the state’s collaboration with IFC should focus on opportunities in areas such as affordable urban housing and industrial infrastructure, including projects with large-scale social impact.

Kamal Dorabawila, Manager, PPP Transaction Advisory Services (South Asia), IFC, said the organisation’s team was keen to position Odisha as a strategic hub for globally competitive investment opportunities.

The meeting reviewed the state’s ongoing efforts to attract private participation in infrastructure development and expand the pipeline of projects through collaboration with IFC.