Rourkela Steel Plant

Manufacturing and Industry

On February 3, 1959, the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) started its operations. West German experts helped build it as part of a global partnership. Spread over about 7,700 hectares, this major steel plant now operates under the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), a key government-owned company. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru proposed the idea for RSP in 1953, and planners incorporated it into India’s Second Five-Year Plan (1954–55). Designers created it not just as a factory but as a symbol of modern India’s growth—aimed at speeding up industrialisation, creating jobs, and improving the economy.

Authorities built RSP in the tribal-majority Sundargarh district of Odisha to promote local development. Planners chose the site for its easy access to raw materials like iron ore, coal, and limestone, as well as water from the Brahmani River and electricity from the Hirakud Dam.

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