Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday inaugurated a tea packaging unit ofTata Consumer Products Limitedat Gopalpur industrial park in Ganjam district through video conference. The Rs 100-crore plant commissioned in 18 months will create employment opportunities for over 900 people.

The plant with present production capacity of 15 million kgs will be developed as the largest tea packaging plant in the country as the company has planned to enhance its capacity to 50 million kgs. It is one of the most modern units with all the state-of-the-art technologies, said an official statement. The unit will cater to the needs of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Nadu,Telangana and Central India. It is being operated by Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited, an associate of Tata consumers and the second largest tea producer in India.

Lauding the role ofTata Groupin Odisha, he said it has been playing a vital role in the states industrial development. He also appreciated Tata Groups support to the State Government to handle the pandemic.