Bhubaneswar: Odisha is looking beyond its traditional strengths in mining to emerge as a global hub for value-added metals manufacturing, with the state’s installed steel capacity expected to touch 150 to 180 million tonnes over the next five years, said senior govt officials at the CII Odisha Metals & Mining Conclave-2026 on Friday.Addressing the gathering, Hemant Sharma, additional chief secretary, industries department, said Odisha has evolved from being a major mining centre to becoming the metals capital of India and South Asia. He said around 20 new mines have become operational in the last two to three years, while another 30 are at various stages of development, creating fresh opportunities across logistics, technology and ancillary services.Industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain said the state is now focusing on deriving greater value from its mineral wealth through downstream industries and advanced manufacturing. “We must make more in Odisha from what we mine in Odisha,” he said.Swain said the state has approved 27 industrial projects worth Rs 2.47 lakh crore across 15 districts, with the potential to generate over 50,000 jobs. The projects include investments of around Rs 14,000 crore in steel and downstream sectors in Sundargarh, along with major aluminium-related proposals.Industry leaders stressed that Odisha’s next phase of growth should be driven by beneficiation, recycling, circular economy practices and technology-led operations rather than extraction alone. Anil Kumar Singh, chairman of CII Odisha State Council, said sustainable growth would require greater focus on advanced manufacturing, resource efficiency and digital transformation.The two-day event that concludes on Saturday has brought together policymakers, industry executives, technology experts and stakeholders to deliberate on sustainable mining, AI-driven operations, circular economy, critical minerals, logistics and skill development as Odisha seeks to build a future-ready metals and mining ecosystem aligned with the vision of Viksit Odisha@2036.