Mumbai, Apr 24 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh government’s new industrial policy has played out well with the state’s steel sector receiving investment proposals worth over Rs 1 lakh crore, state’s minister for commerce, industry and labour Lakhan Lal Devangan said on Thursday.

Speaking at the 6th edition of Steel India 2025 Conference and Exhibition here — hosted jointly by the Ministry of Steel and Industry Body Ficci — Devangan said states such as Chhattisgarh have been receiving maximum benefits of the Centre’s initiatives, including the PLI scheme to promote the sector.

“We have made a new industrial policy keeping in view the big possibilities in the steel sector in the state. The policy has a large focus on core sectors like steel. Under this, we offer various incentives to the industry,” he said.

Chhattisgarh has also become among the top states in attracting investment owing to the new industrial policy, he said, adding that the state has already received proposals related to the steel sector worth Rs over 1 lakh crore.

India is the second-largest producer of steel and this sector has to play a big role in achieving the target of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the minister said.

Also, the success of various other missions of the government such as Make-in-India, Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and Vocal for Local also depends on the steel sector, he emphasised.

The government has taken various policy initiatives, including the PLI to promote the steel industry in the country and steel producing states like Chhattisgarh have been getting the maximum benefits of such initiatives.

“We are producing 46 million tonnes of iron in the state and our aim is to take this to 65 million tonnes in the next five years,” he said.

In 2014, he said, the coal production in the state was 135 million tonnes, which has increased to 207 million tonnes and will go up to 400 million tonnes by 2030.

He said the state has also enhanced various modes of connectivity in the state, including the ongoing work for a Rs 21,000 crore road project, which is essential for the transportation of the metal. PTI IAS TRB