Kumar Bahukhandi
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai addresses the Chhattisgarh Industry Dialogue on Green Steel at a private resort, Nava Raipur, on Thursday, August 13, 2026, calling for greater value addition of Chhattisgarh-produced steel within the State and increased investment in downstream and speciality products.-Photo Credit:channel24india.com via CMO
Sai calls for greater value addition within the State as proposed projects promise 10,921 direct and indirect jobs
Chhattisgarh has attracted investment proposals worth ₹13,840 crore at the Chhattisgarh Industry Dialogue on Green Steel, held at a private resort in Nava Raipur on Thursday August 13, 2026 . Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, addressing the industry gathering and called for maximum value addition of steel produced in Chhattisgarh to take place within the State, with greater emphasis on downstream and speciality manufacturing.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai with the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, a senior woman official and industry representatives during the Chhattisgarh Industry Dialogue on Green Steel at a private resort in Nava Raipur on Thursday, August 13, 2026. The dialogue focused on green steel, downstream manufacturing and greater value addition within Chhattisgarh-Photo Credit:channel24india.com
The dialogue, organised by the Chhattisgarh Government in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Thursday, focused on green steel, downstream manufacturing and the need to retain a larger share of the value generated from the State’s mineral and steel resources within Chhattisgarh.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, who attended the programme as chief guest, said steel and mining had long formed a strong foundation of Chhattisgarh’s industrial identity, but the State now needed to move beyond merely producing primary steel.
“Our objective should not remain confined to steel production. The maximum value addition of steel produced in Chhattisgarh should also take place within the State,” Sai said.
He called for greater emphasis on downstream and speciality products, arguing that steel produced in Chhattisgarh should increasingly be converted locally into auto components, engineering products and equipment for the railway, defence and solar energy sectors instead of leaving the State primarily in its basic form.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai witnesses the exchange of an investment proposal during the Chhattisgarh Industry Dialogue on Green Steel at a private resort in Nava Raipur on Thursday, August 13, 2026. The event received investment proposals worth ₹13,840 crore, with the proposed projects expected to generate 10,921 direct and indirect employment opportunities-Photo Credit:channel24india.com via CMO
“When value addition takes place in Chhattisgarh, employment will also be created in Chhattisgarh,” the Chief Minister said, assuring investors that the State Government would stand firmly behind projects seeking to develop such industries.
Green steel emerges as next industrial opportunity
Sai said the global steel industry was rapidly moving towards greener production processes in response to net-zero carbon goals and maintained that Chhattisgarh had recognised the significance of this transition at an early stage.
With more than 26,000 MW of power availability and competitive industrial electricity tariffs, he said, Chhattisgarh was particularly well positioned to attract energy-intensive downstream manufacturing.
The ₹13,840-crore proposals emerging from the dialogue assume significance in this context, with the Government seeking to combine Chhattisgarh’s established strength in steel with newer, cleaner technologies and higher-value manufacturing.
The strategy also represents an attempt to address a longstanding economic question for mineral-rich states: how to ensure that raw materials and primary industrial output generate a greater share of jobs and economic activity within the region where they originate.
Nearly ₹8 lakh crore proposed in 18 months
Sai said the Industrial Development Policy 2024-30 had opened new avenues for investment, with Chhattisgarh attracting proposals of nearly ₹8 lakh crore over the past 18 months.
While steel and mining remain important, the investment pipeline is becoming more diversified. Proposals have also come in sectors including artificial intelligence and data centres, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, textiles and agro-processing.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai witnesses another exchange of investment documents with industry representatives at the Chhattisgarh Industry Dialogue on Green Steel at a private resort in Nava Raipur on Thursday, August 13, 2026, as the State seeks greater investment in green steel, downstream and speciality manufacturing-Photo Credit:channel24india.com via CMO
The Chief Minister linked the investment interest to reforms undertaken to simplify business procedures in the State.
Chhattisgarh, he said, had introduced an Ease of Doing Business Act, providing measures including self-certification for low-risk enterprises, risk-based regulation and deemed approval where applications are not disposed of within stipulated timelines.
The Government expects around 15 lakh MSMEs to benefit from the reforms.
Sai also cited Chhattisgarh’s performance in the CRISIL-NITI Aayog Investment Friendliness Index 2026, saying the State ranked first among major states in Regulatory Ease and Institutional Environment and second in Environmental Resilience.
The State was also recently presented the GeM Sustainable Procurement Award during the Government e-Marketplace’s 10th anniversary celebrations in New Delhi.
Industrial expansion beyond Raipur-Bhilai belt
Another element of the Government’s industrial strategy is to take investment beyond the traditional Raipur-Bhilai industrial belt.
Four new industrial parks have been approved in Rajnandgaon, Dhamtari, Janjgir-Champa and Bastar, according to the Government.
Rajnandgaon is also set to host an Electronics Manufacturing Cluster under EMC 2.0, spread across approximately 306 acres. The project has received approval from the Union Government and is expected to attract large-scale investment and potentially create around 9,000 jobs.
Companies operating in semiconductors, electric vehicles and smart electronics have shown interest in the cluster, the Government said.
The geographical expansion of industry is significant for the State because investment concentrated around established industrial centres cannot by itself deliver balanced employment opportunities across Chhattisgarh.
‘No place for red tape’
Inviting businesses to invest in Chhattisgarh, Sai sought to project predictability and speed of decision-making as key advantages of the State.
“Our policy is clear, processes are transparent and approvals are being granted within stipulated timelines. There is no place for red tape here,” he said.
The Chief Minister added: “We will work together and together write a new story of success.”
His message at the Green Steel dialogue was ultimately about moving Chhattisgarh further up the industrial value chain. The State already possesses the minerals, steel-making capacity and energy base; the next challenge is to convert those advantages into higher-value manufacturing and wider employment.
For Chhattisgarh, therefore, the green steel push is not merely about producing steel with a lower carbon footprint. The larger objective is to ensure that more of the processing, manufacturing, investment and employment generated by its steel remains within the State itself.
