A boost for southern Odisha

The proposed Rs 10,000 crore ingot and wafer manufacturing facility by Tata Power in Gopalpur, Odisha is more than an industrial project - it is a strategic inflection point for India’s semiconductor and renewable energy ambitions, and a transformative opportunity for South Odisha’s economic landscape.

- CHARUDUTTA PANIGRAHI

This will help unlock South Odisha’s SEZ Advantage and India’s Semiconductor Future.

What makes Gopalpur uniquely suited for this project is the presence of the Gopalpur Special Economic Zone (SEZ). SEZs are designed to provide world-class infrastructure, tax incentives, and regulatory flexibility to attract investment in globally competitive industries.

Global Connectivity: With Gopalpur Port integrated into the SEZ, the plant will have direct access to international shipping routes, enabling wafer exports to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Policy Incentives: SEZ status ensures fiscal benefits such as duty-free imports of machinery, tax holidays, and simplified compliance, reducing project costs and accelerating timelines.

Industrial Synergy: The SEZ already hosts industrial activity, creating a ready ecosystem of logistics, utilities, and ancillary services. Tata Power’s plant will anchor this ecosystem, attracting suppliers of chemicals, precision machinery, and cleanroom technologies.

By situating the ingot and wafer plant in Gopalpur SEZ, Tata Power leverages a policy-enabled growth platform, ensuring both competitiveness and sustainability.

The project is expected to generate 5,000-7,000 direct jobs and 20,000+ indirect jobs in logistics, MSMEs, and services. For Ganjam district, where migration has long been a livelihood strategy, this represents a structural shift towards local employment.

The influx of investment will stimulate demand for housing, healthcare, and education in Berhampur and surrounding towns. The multiplier effect could raise district GDP growth by 2-3 percentage points annually, lifting household incomes and reducing outmigration.