Stone Laying for Mittal Steel Plant in Anakapalli Likely on March 21

Visakhapatnam: The ground breaking ceremony of AP’s biggest factory ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AMNS) plant is likely to take place in Nakkapalli mandal in Anakapalli district on March 21, according to reliable sources.

A team, led by the company’s CEO Dileep Omen, visited Anakapalli and reviewed arrangements for the bhoomi puja with collector Vijaya Krishnan and other senior officials on Monday. He reportedly expressed satisfaction with the speed at which the works were going on.

“We only know that it will be in the third week of March but no specific date has been received from the Chief Minister’s Office yet,’’ the collector told this correspondent.

Sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan and several Central ministers are expected to participate in the foundation laying ceremony.

Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has recommended environmental clearance for the plant which will produce 8.2 million tonnes per annum in the first phase. The factory is expected to produce 24 million tonnes per annum.

With `1.5 lakh crore investment, the project, India’s largest green field steel manufacturing initiative, has secured all major approvals, including land, in just 14 months since AMNS first engaged with the state government in August 2024.

The joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Japan’s Nippon Steel, the facility will use advanced, energy-efficient and low-emission technologies that meet global standards for sustainability and carbon management.

The Anakapalli collector also explained the visiting team on construction of approach roads, developing pipelines for water supply, building rehabilitation colonies for the displaced persons, payment of compensation and other issues related to the project.

The steel factory is expected to create thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly and development of large scale MSMEs.