The latest Odisha HLCA investment round is the largest the state has cleared in a single meeting. On 23 September 2026, Odisha's High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA), chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved 27 projects worth Rs 2,47,115.70 crore [1]. The projects are spread over 15 districts and are expected to create 50,162 jobs [2].

The round is unusual for one reason: more than half the money goes into data centres, not steel or power.

Where the money goes

ProjectCompanyDistrictInvestment (Rs crore)JobsIntegrated data centre parkHigh Density Data Centre LtdKhordha1,04,5501,000Thermal power plant, 3,200 MWNLC India LtdDeogarh34,763.514,100AI data centre and Global Capability CentreSentraforge AI LtdPuri22,6342,320AI-optimised data centreHCL Technologies LtdKhordha14,257385Thermal power plant, 1,080 MWNLC India LtdAngul11,604.191,000Data centre facilityRKD Construction Pvt LtdCuttack1,500220 By sector, the four IT and data-centre projects add up to about Rs 1,42,941 crore [1]. Four power and renewable projects add up to Rs 54,287.70 crore and 5,300 jobs, and five lab-grown diamond units to Rs 10,680 crore [1]. A steel project of about Rs 14,000 crore in Sundargarh and a large healthcare project in Khordha were also cleared [3].

The 15 districts are Angul, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Kendrapara, Khordha, Koraput, Nuapada, Puri, Rayagada and Sundargarh [3].

Reading the numbers

Data centres need a lot of money but few people to run them. The Rs 1,04,550 crore Khordha park plans 1,000 jobs, or about Rs 105 crore of investment per job. Across all 27 projects the average is about Rs 4.9 crore per job.

For property owners this matters. A data centre's main local effect is on power, water and fibre infrastructure, not on large housing demand. The Puri GCC is different: 2,320 office jobs will need rented homes nearby. If you own a flat or house, our guide to where tenants actually want to live in Bhubaneswar shows how workplace location drives rental demand.

An HLCA approval clears a company's proposal. It is not the start of construction. In June, the Prime Minister said Odisha has received nearly Rs 20 lakh crore in investment proposals, of which mega projects worth over Rs 3.5 lakh crore are under way [4]. That gap is why each project should be tracked through land allotment and groundbreaking.

What the government says it wants

The Chief Minister described the list as a sign of growing investor confidence. He said the aim is balanced growth across regions and new industries such as AI, data centres and semiconductors, alongside Odisha's existing strengths in steel and power [3].

Areas to watch

AreaProjectWhat to watchKhordha districtTwo data centres worth Rs 1,18,807 crore togetherExact sites are not public yet. Watch IDCO land allotmentsPuri districtSentraforge AI data centre and GCCOffice rental and staff housing demand once the site is knownCuttackRKD data centreSmall project, local effect onlyDeogarh and AngulNLC thermal plantsTownship housing and contractor rentals during construction What happens next

  • IDCO land allotment for the Khordha and Puri data centres
  • Power and water connection approvals for the data-centre parks
  • Groundbreaking dates, which mark the real start of each project

For owners planning a letting around these projects, our notes on maximising rental yield and cutting vacancy cover the basics.

More from Odisha Development Watch

Own property in Bhubaneswar, Khordha or Puri and live elsewhere? See how Navoasset manages property in Bhubaneswar and Odisha, or request a call back.

This article reports public information for general awareness. It is not investment or legal advice.

Sources

  1. Swarajya, 24 September 2026: Odisha clears Rs 2.47 lakh crore investment across 27 major projects in 15 districts.
  2. UNI, 23 September 2026: Odisha clears Rs 2.47 lakh crore investment proposals, 50,162 jobs in offing.
  3. Organiser, 25 September 2026: Odisha clears Rs 2.47 lakh crore investment projects across 15 districts.
  4. NBM&CW, 22 June 2026: President and PM launch Rs 47,600 crore development projects in Odisha.