Odisha | Pakistan

India’s Adani Group and Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company (IHC) are looking to invest $11.5 billion in a massive aluminum project in the eastern state of Odisha, the Indian conglomerate said on Thursday. The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding with the Odisha state government, Adani said in a statement, with the proposed investment set to be India’s “largest foreign direct investment in the metallurgy sector”. The statement said the Odisha project will see Adani Enterprises Limited and an IHC subsidiary form a 50/50 joint venture. The project itself will consist of a refinery that can produce four million metric tonnes of aluminium per year, a smaller-capacity aluminum smelter and a 4,000-megawatt captive power plant. The project is expected to create 53,500 jobs, with 35,000 during ​construction and another 18,500 once operations begin, an official said ​at ⁠the MoU signing ceremony. Odisha, home to some of India’s ​largest bauxite reserves ​used to produce ⁠aluminum, accounts for 54 per...

A fire at a government-run hospital in eastern India killed at least 10 critically ill patients who were admitted in the trauma care unit, officials said on Monday. Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and a routine disregard for safety regulations. The fire broke out early on Monday on the first floor of the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Odisha state’s Cuttack city, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told reporters. “A short circuit caused the fire in the trauma ICU ward where patients were being treated,” he said, adding that 23 patients were present on the floor at the time of the incident. Ten people died following the blaze, while the remaining patients were moved to other wards, he added. At least 11 staff members suffered burn injuries as they tried to rescue the patients. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “deeply painful” in a post on social media and offered his condolences to the families of the victims. He also announced compensation ...