MoEF gives nod for India’s largest greenfield steel plant at Anakapalli; AM/NS to invest Rs 1.5L Cr

Amaravati : Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) has given environmental clearance for ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel’s (AM/NS) plant at Anakapalli in Andhra Pradesh.

The project, backed by an overall investment commitment of Rs 1.5 lakh crore, will be India’s largest greenfield steel manufacturing initiative to date.

The AM/NS plant will be developed over multiple phases, with the first phase targeting an 8.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) integrated steel capacity and the ultimate expansion planned to reach 24 MTPA.

The facility will employ advanced, energy-efficient, and low-emission technologies, meeting global standards for sustainability and carbon management. When fully operational, the plant is expected to emerge as a key anchor industry for the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Corridor, enabling the growth of steel-based downstream units, machinery production clusters, and logistics networks across north coastal Andhra Pradesh.

AM/NS, a joint venture of ArcelorMittal and Japan’s Nippon Steel, initiated its engagement with the Government of Andhra Pradesh in August 2024, seeking land and policy support to establish a world-class steel manufacturing hub in India’s fastest-growing industrial state. The Government allotted the required land within three months and extended single-window facilitation to help the company obtain all necessary statutory and environmental clearances without delay.

With today’s recommendation from MoEF, all major approvals for the project have been secured in just 14 months - a record timeline that underlines the state’s efficient project management and proactive investment promotion ecosystem. Andhra Pradesh’s enabling policies, transparent governance, and commitment to infrastructure-led growth have positioned it as one of India’s most preferred destinations for large-scale global investments.

Aditya Mittal, Chief Executive Officer of ArcelorMittal and Managing Director of AM/NS, in a statement, said, “We are all very impressed with the speed with which the Andhra Pradesh Government allotted land to us, handed it over, and supported us in obtaining the resource linkages and permits required to set up this world-class project. Our vision is to create not just a steel plant but a hub for innovation, sustainability, and new employment in India’s steel sector.”

Nara Lokesh, AP’s Minister for IT, Electronics, HRD, RTGS, said, “This project is a reflection of what Andhra Pradesh represents today - speed, transparency, and efficiency in governance. Under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, we have built a system that can match global benchmarks in industrial facilitation. The AM/NS plant will transform the economic landscape of coastal Andhra Pradesh, generate lakhs of jobs, and significantly boost local manufacturing, exports, and skill development.”

The foundation stone for the AM/NS plant will be laid during the CII Partnership Summit (14–15 November 2025) in Visakhapatnam, in the presence of top global CEOs, policymakers, and industrial leaders. The project is expected to catalyze massive infrastructure development in the region, strengthen the Vizag–Anakapalli–Kakinada industrial belt, and anchor India’s position as a major player in sustainable steel production.