AMNS’ $16.6-billion steel plant near Vizag set to take off

Visakhapatnam: Decks are being cleared for kick-starting work on India’s largest integrated greenfield steel plant proposed by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AMNS) at Nakkapalli in Anakapalle district, with an investment of $16.6 billion to be implemented in two phases and a total production capacity of 24 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).

The proposed facility will come up about 60 km from the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL)’s Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, which has an annual capacity of 7.3 MTPA. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to revive the public sector steel plant, with the Centre unveiling a Rs11,440-crore revival package and the State Government converting Rs2,000 crore worth of power arrears and other dues into preferential shares.

The first phase of the AMNS plant, with a capacity of 7.3–8.2 MTPA, is scheduled for completion by early 2029. Though the foundation stone was earlier planned to be laid during the CII Partnership Summit in mid-November 2025, it was deferred at the last moment after the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change sought certain clarifications.AMNS plans to source raw material through a slurry pipeline from mining sites in Chhattisgarh via Odisha. The pipeline project, described as cost-effective and environment-friendly, has received approval from the Government of India under the Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines Act. Recently, the State Cabinet approved the renaming of AMNS’ captive port at DL Puram as AMNS Ports Rajayyapeta Private Limited, a special purpose vehicle of AMNS. With a waterfront of 2.9 km, the port, located close to Rambilli, will have a handling capacity of 17.8 million tonnes, with an initial investment of about Rs5,800 crore.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, currently in Davos for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, met the AMNS top management and announced that the foundation stone for the steel plant will be laid after February 15. He discussed the project’s progress with executive chairman Lakshmi Mittal.

In the presence of Industries Minister T.G. Bharath and IT & Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh, the Chief Minister directed officials to complete all required sanctions, including land allotment, before the foundation ceremony. He stressed the need for speedy execution and early commencement of production, and asked the Ministers to secure pending approvals from the Central government. AMNS CEO Aditya Mittal praised the proactive role played by Nara Lokesh in facilitating the project. The Chief Minister also briefed him on investment opportunities across sectors in AP.