Work on ₹16,350-crore JSW Rayalaseema steel plant begins

Tirupati: Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday launched the construction of the long-awaited JSW Rayalaseema Integrated Steel Plant at Sunnapuralla Palli in Jammalamadugu mandal of Kadapa district on Friday.

He also virtually inaugurated the Jindal Industrial Park at Vizianagaram.He said the AP govt resolved multiple regulatory bottlenecks and finalised permissions for JSW within two years, setting a firm target to begin commercial production within the next 24 months.The integrated steel plant is being developed by JSW Andhra Pradesh Steel Limited on 1,100 acres, with a total investment of ₹16,350 crore structured in two distinct phases.

The first phase will involve an initial layout of ₹4,500 crore, while the second phase will draw an additional ₹11,850 crore.Designed as a cutting-edge green steel facility, the plant will utilise scrap-based electric arc furnace technology powered entirely by renewable energy to minimise its carbon footprint. Additionally, a dedicated 15-km pipeline will be laid from the Gandikota reservoir to supply 2 tmcft of water annually to meet the plant’s operational needs, alongside robust road, rail, and port connectivity, Naidu said.

Winding up his two-day tour of Nellore and Tirupati districts, Naidu arrived in Kadapa district and first offered prayers at the Bala Tripura Sundari temple at Peddandluru before reaching Sunnapuralla Palli, along with Union minister of state for steel and heavy industries Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, and JSW chairman and managing director Sajjan Jindal.Addressing a gathering at the venue, Naidu said the start of the steel plant project marked the dawn of a new industrial era and a golden era for Rayalaseema — a region historically burdened by drought, but now transitioning into a hub of prosperity, horticulture, and advanced manufacturing.He further said that the AP govt plans to lay the foundation stone for a global horticulture hub in Madanapalle by Aug 15, while simultaneously implementing rehabilitation and resettlement packages for families affected by the Gandikota project.