In a massive boost to infra development in Bihar, billionaire Gautam Adani-led Adani group has announced to invest ₹20,000 crore to set up a thermal power plant in the state. Apart from this, the port-to-power conglomerate plans to invest ₹2,300 crore in three sectors - logistics, gas distribution and agri-logistics; ₹2,100 crore to manufacture smart meters; ₹2,500 crore for cement manufacturing; and another ₹1,000 crore for developing strategic infrastructure in Bihar, like Gati Shakti Railway Terminals, ICDs (Inland Container Depots) and Industrial Warehousing Parks.

The supercritical thermal plant is expected to create around 12,000 jobs in the precommissioning phase and around 1,500 skilled jobs during the operational phase, says Pranav Adani, Director, Adani Enterprises Ltd, at the Bihar Business Connect 2024.

“We are also exploring investment avenues in Bihar’s energy sector. Our plan is to invest around ₹20,000 crore to set up an ultra-supercritical thermal power plant. We expect such a massive project to open up at least 12,000 job vacancies in the precommissioning phase – and also lead to around 1,500 skilled jobs during the operational phase,” says Pranav Adani, the son of Vinod Adani, the elder brother of Gautam Adani.

Speaking at the event, Pranav said that the power-to-port conglomerate has already invested around ₹850 crore in three sectors - logistics, gas distribution and agri-logistics, in the last three years. This has generated around 25,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

“We are now going to invest another ₹2,300 crore in these sectors. This investment will not only massively increase our warehousing and handling capacity and expand our presence in the EV, CGD and CBG space but will also generate an additional 27,000 direct and indirect local job opportunities,” he adds.

He further says that the group is working closely with Bihar government to potentially invest another ₹1,000 crore in developing strategic infrastructure in Bihar, like Gati Shakti Railway Terminals, ICDs (Inland Container Depots) and Industrial Warehousing Parks.

Another sector in which the group is investing in is smart meter manufacturing. The conglomerate plans to invest ₹2,100 crore to manufacture and install over 28 lakh smart meters to automate power-consumptionmonitoring in five cities – Siwan, Gopalganj, Vaishali, Saran and Samastipur. The smart meters business is expected to generate at least 4,000 local jobs in this technology segment.

Five months ago, at the end of July, Adani group laid down foundations for the first greenfield cement project in Warisaliganj, located in Nawada district of Bihar. “It is a cement grinding unit – and we have more on the way. We intend to invest ₹2,500 crore in Bihar to set up a cement manufacturing capacity of 10 MMTPA in multiple phases – and this has the potential to create at least 9,000 direct and indirect jobs for the people of Bihar,” says Adani.

He also lauded Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s vision for the state, saying that under his leadership, the state is being transformed, particularly in governance, ease of doing business, access to healthcare, social reform, law and order, literacy and education, empowerment of women and the underprivileged.

“Your vision has become a model of beneficial growth for the rest of the nation. I am privileged to tell you that the Adani Group is greatly encouraged by your vision for Bihar – and there can be no better validation of our belief in your leadership than the humble fact that we are the largest private investor in Bihar,” he adds.