New Delhi, March 10, 2026:
In a major step towards strengthening the cooperative sector and revitalising agricultural activity in Odisha, the long-defunct Badamba Cooperative Sugar Mill in Cuttack district is set to be revived with a big investment by Indian Potash Limited.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Indian Potash Limited and the Government of Odisha for the modernisation and expansion of the mill. The agreement was signed by Dr. P. S. Gahlaut, Managing Director of Indian Potash Limited, and Shri Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, IAS, Commissioner cum Secretary, Department of Cooperation, Government of Odisha, in the presence of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah on March 6, 2026. The occasion was also attended by Union Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha Smt. Pravati Parida, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, and Member of Parliament Smt. Aparajita Sarangi.
Closed for more than fifteen years, the Badamba Sugar Mill will be redeveloped with a crushing capacity of 3,500 tonnes of cane per day. The project will include a 16 MW co generation power plant, a 10 tonnes per day Bio CNG facility, and a modern cold storage unit. Operations are expected to commence within one year.
The initiative is projected to directly benefit nearly 10,000 farmers in the Badamba block by reviving sugarcane cultivation, enhancing farm incomes, and generating employment in the region. The Government of Odisha will provide 112 acres of land on long term lease for the project.
Building on its successful revival of three sick sugar mills in Gujarat, Indian Potash Limited has undertaken this project under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Cooperation. Technical and financial feasibility studies were conducted with support from the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Limited and SBI Capital Markets Limited.
The revival is expected to stimulate rural economic growth while strengthening the cooperative movement in Odisha.
